AC Stroke Play: Lesson Cribs

Usage

Keep as a quick-reference in your pocket (and adapt to suit your style).

Check stance, grip, swing.
Importance of: stalking, swinging style, keeping head down, hitting ball in the middle.
Practice:
- Roquet balls close together - count percentage of hits per 10 attempts.
- Move further apart - at what distance do you lose 100% hitting?
Don't take short roquets for granted.

Understand risk factors.
Running a straight hoop:
- Check stalking, aim, force of shot, angle of mallet.
Running an angled hoop:
- Check aim, range of possible angles, power, spin essential.
Practise controlled hoop running.
Know how well you can control straight and angled hoops.
Laws: 29.1.6 to 29.1.9 (double hit/"crush"/push)

Establish your personal ratio for drive shot.
This is the basis of all croquet shots and the most frequently used because it's the most accurate.
Place the striker's ball behind the croqueted ball the lines of centre pointing at the target. Hit as for a single ball.
Practise in pairs measuring ratio over different strengths of hitting.
Laws: 13, 14, 15: ball off court, replacing, etc.

Full-Roll
- Both balls should travel more or less equal distances.
- Hands should be at the bottom of the shaft; the angle of the mallet mallet will be around 45 degrees..
Half-Roll
- Striker's ball should travel half the distance of the croqueted ball (check).
- The vertical angle at which the striker's ball is hit determines how far it goes.
- Lower hand should be half-way down mallet shaft.
Move feet forward, hands down the mallet shaft, tilting the mallet forward to the desired place.
Practise rolling from H1 to H5.

Each ball goes to a predetermined position.
Set up balls so the 'arrow' points to the target.
Practice in pairs for ease of ball retrieval - aiming at specific point e.g. H1.
Usefulness of the thick take off.
Note direction of movement of the croqueted ball and the distance it travels.
Law 29.1.13 - failing to move croqueted ball.

As for roll but the angle the mallet makes with the croqueted ball determines the direction of the striker's ball.
Aim at a spot half way between where you want the two balls to go.
Important: accuracy especially on longer shots.
Choose distant aiming points.
Guard against "shepherding" (29.1.6).
Note effects of drive shots / wide angle, etc.
Practice to specific points: at H4 go to H5 & H6; at H1 go to H2 & H3.

Understand that split croquet strokes are inherently less accurate than a drive.
Be capable of running a hoop from any pioneer position.
Check line up for different pioneer positions.
Get striker's ball 30 - 40 cm in front of hoop and croqueted ball 2m to the front and side - explain why.
Practice at hoops trying simple shots first until confident.
Law 29 - all faults.

Promotes croqueted ball to more advantageous position - be able to rush ball to specific point.
As for single ball shot - must strike the ball at the bottom of the swing or slightly on the way up so it skids along the ground.
If struck on the way down it may jump.
NB: we promote because striker's ball will be ball-in-hand - not to be used for shots that need accuracy, e.g. placing a pioneer.
Practise opposite partner for ease of ball return.
Balls 30cm apart.
Rush to specific points at different lengths.