Five Simple GC Tactics for Beginners

From early (1954) issues of the Croquet Gazette

Golf Croquet enables beginners especially to learn how to take up their stance; how to hold their mallet; how to hit their own ball properly; how to run hoops; and how to shoot straight. It is not necessary to have a full-sized lawn for Golf Croquet; lots of pleasure is available on a lawn of almost any size or shape. The game is very easy to learn; only a handful of rules need be studied by beginners.

1 If after making a hoop the next player makes a perfect approach to the next hoop and gets certain position, it is no good just rolling up: the odds against a stymie from a long distance are tremendous. The opponents should shoot and try to clear the ball away.

2 It's important to consider which player should clear a ball in position. If possible, this should be done by the player next before the one in position. For example: if Blue is in position and Black well away on the boundary, while Red and Yellow are in the vicinity of the hoop but not in position; in such a case Red should get in position and leave Yellow to clear Blue, relying on Black not being able to hit Yellow.

3 If the opponents are both in position and your partner ball is well out of play, take a difficult shot at hoop, rather than just clearing one ball.

4 The stop-shot is a most valuable stroke in the game of golf croquet. This stroke can remove a ball in position for its hoop many yards while the ball of the "stop-shotter'' takes the removed ball's place.

The shot requires practice and is well worth it. The mallet is checked when making the stroke so that the object ball goes yards away and the striker's ball hardly moves. It is obvious that the only other removal of an opponent ball in position, namely, the long shot, has nothing like the same value as the stop shot: for both balls will be scattered by the impact of the long shot, whereas the stop-shot can retain position for the hoop while driving the opponent far away.

5 Position for each of the hoops must be the aim of the first and third players; they not only have the advantage of concentrating on a perfect position, but they should retain command of the hoops, even if they fail to get position. In theory, the first and third players should, one or other of them, score the hoop. What could stop them is the judicious use of the stop-shot by the second and fourth players.

Red and Yellow when playing second and fourth for the first hoop are on the defensive. If Blue gets a position straight away for this hoop, then Red must shoot to remove it - and if Red fails, Yellow must also shoot at Blue. If there is no ball in position for the first hoop, Red and Yellow must then take up some position in the 7-yard square, the corners of which are the first hoop and the first corner flag.

The reason of this is obvious, for, if they were to come up short of the first hoop, or to the right of its playing side, Blue or Black could stop-shot Red or Yellow to the other end of the lawn. This 7-yard square is therefore to be looked upon as the safety zone for the second and fourth players when one or other of the corner hoops are being played for, When playing for either of the two middle hoops, there is, of course, no such protection; but the second and fourth players must use their judgment as to where they take up position, and avoid going too close to a ball of the other side.