Exploiting Corner Balls in Short Croquet: The Corner 3 Cannon

Short Croquet cannons are straightforward. The principles are exactly the same as in full lawn croquet, but the smaller lawn makes for a rather easier shot, and the slightly different lawn proportions call for small changes in the angles.

You are for hoop 3 with Red. You have no pilot at hoop 3 and no pioneer at hoop 4, but a ball (say Blue) is already on the corner spot in corner 3. What are the options?

A Bronze solution is to take off to corner 3, then take off from Blue to a hoop-running position. This should earn you one hoop, but further progress will normally be hard.

A more exacting Silver solution is to take off to corner 3 as before, then play a slightly split drive from the corner. Put your own ball in a hoop-running position as before, and place Blue to give an onward rush down to hoop 4 after running the hoop. This is tricky to get right, but satisfying if it comes off.

A Gold solution is to use the corner ball to lay a break. Plan ahead to try and rush another ball (say Yellow) into corner 3. This will give you three balls in the same corner - a corner cannon.

Yellow will be the centrepiece of the cannon as it is the roqueted ball, so place it on the yard line touching Blue. Best is to place it touching east-west: it makes the cannon marginally easier. You can now temporarily remove Blue.

Place your own ball, Red, touching Yellow to point Yellow directly towards hoop 4. Finally place Blue to also touch Yellow, at right angles to the other two balls, pointing to the right between hoop 2 and corner 2.

Aim a firm and confident swing between peg and hoop 5. You should find you have a good pilot at hoop 3 and a well-placed pioneer at hoop 4.

For a corner 1 cannon use the same procedure. Aim Yellow directly towards hoop 2; place Blue at right angles, pointing between hoop 4 and corner 4; swing between peg and hoop 3.

The size and proportions of Short Croquet lawns make this shot easier and more reliable than on a full lawn, well worth a few minutes' practice to get the angles and strength right ahead of a game.

A well-executed corner cannon can be decisive in handing you the initiative, so it may pay to invest a bisque to get the initial rush into the corner to set one up. The key thing is to avoid knocking the corner ball out of position: it needs to stay where it is. You need to finish up with three balls in the corner, giving the possibility of a well-laid break for one bisque.

John Harris