Croquet mallet options

UK Hurlington Club When selecting a mallet the two main options to consider are overall length and weight.

Croquet Mallet length

About 70% of our customers start with a 36” mallet although taller or shorter people are advised to adjust the length accordingly. Mallets of 33” -35” are popular at club level. Many players find that if they start with a 36” mallet it relatively easy to shorten if required depending on their style and preferences. Apart from the height of a player the ideal height of a mallet depends on how the player grips the mallet. There are three commonly used styles, the standard grip, Irish grip and Solomon grip. New players should try out different mallets and grip styles before deciding other than standard handle lengths.

Croquet Mallet weight

As with the length, there is very much a standard weight, being 3.00lbs. A slightly heavier mallet like 3lb.02oz will help for longer shots but is more difficult to control for stop shots etc. Players with greater strength may favor lighter mallets of about 2lb.14oz for control but with less head weight the likelihood of the head twisting is higher. The lighter mallets are better for stop shots but more effort is required for long roquets and croquets. A 3.00lb mallet is usually a good compromise and neither extreme is recommended. Another important factor to bear in mind is the condition of the lawns. Obviously a lighter mallet is better on a hard and fast lawn and conversely a heavy mallet is advantageous on a slow heavy lawn. The previous recommendations assume that tournament balls weighing 1.00lb are being used.

Croquet Mallet Head size

Our standard head size is 9 1⁄4” long (235mm) by 2 3/8" wide (60mm) by 2 1/2" high (65mm). This is a good size to start with. Experienced players tend to use longer heads up to 12” in length and often prefer slightly narrower heads. We manufacture a wide range of custom heads to suit players preferences. We’re happy to custom make whatever sized head a player requests at an additional charge of NZ$20.00

Croquet Mallet Grips

We’ve offered a range of grips over the years including synthetic cushion grip, cord binding, pigskin, and rubber but by far the most popular grip available has been our unique split leather grips which outlast all the others and are more comfortable. These are available in a wide range of colors with an average length when fitted of 16”. Some players also prefer an 8” roll grip fitted to the lower section of the shaft for better control when making roll shots. These can be fitted for an additional fee of NZ$15.00

The closed cell foam EVA grips on our new carbon handles don't need grips fitted as they're comfortable, as they are.

Croquet Mallet Shaft types

We make both wooden and fibreglass shafts although our wooden handles are by far the most popular. They have good shock absorption, they’re lighter, cheaper, they feel good and look good. All our wooden handles are stress tested and they shouldn’t break in the course of reasonable use and care.

The fiberglass handles are preferred by some for their driving power and the fact that they are virtually indestructible but they are heavy which is detrimental the the balance of the mallet.

Our latest Carbon 17mm tubular handles on the Evolution mallet have overcome this and are considerably lighter and very strong. They're made to a reasonably stiff flex unless otherwise requested. The long length octagonal EVA closed cell grip is the ultimate grip material being waterproof and comfortable and light. The whole handle weighs and average of just 10 ounces.

Peripheral weighting

Only recently have the rules of croquet allowed the use of metal end plates. This has advanced the development and efficiency of the croquet mallet to a whole new level. By increasing the length of the head, and re-distributing some of the mass to the striking faces, the moment of inertia is increased. This makes the head more stable during the swing, particularly for making accurate rushes, long roquets, and hitting-in. Also the mallet is less likely to twist when shots are hit off-centre. It's fair to say that this makes these type of mallets more accurate. We're using 8 or 10mm thick sandblasted stainless steel end plates provide peripheral weighting to an attractive Indian rosewood head measuring 55mm wide by 60mm high. The standard head length is 10” in length but custom lengths are made to order.

Matched with a lightweight carbon tubular shaft and EVA grip materiual these make a superbly balanced mallets that provide the player with more power and yet maintain better control. 100's have now been made are are being used worldwide, the feedback has been fantastic.

They're competitively priced at NZ$330.00 plus shipping