Each player requires a croquet ball. The object of the game is to hit the croquet ball and allow it to progress from the starting post to the finishing post. Obviously the first person whose ball reaches the finishing post is considered the winner.
Croquet balls each have different colours identifying the various players. Regulations specify the bounce height of the ball. Most modern day balls are made of plastic and the quality of the material used affects its durability, bounce and weight.
The croquet mallet
The croquet mallet is the tool that the player uses to hit the ball. Each player is usually assigned his or her own mallet for the duration of the game. These are often colour coded to match the ball that the player has chosen. It is available in the range of 2lb 12oz to 3lb 4oz. If you want a long mallet then it helps to have a heavier one as the pendulum motion depends upon the weight. Professional players use a square cross-section head while amateurs can use a wooden shafted
croquet mallet. The cheaper and plain garden mallets can be fitted brass rings to bind the wood and prevent splitting.
The croquet game
Croquet requires the player to move his or her ball through each and every hoop. The direction that the ball moves through the hoop is also of importance. Hoops come in sets of six. The crown of the hoops should lie 12"" above ground level. There should be a gap of 4" and 3 3/4" wide and uprights of 5/8" diameter. Each hoop leg usually has a carrot shape at the end. If the ball moves through the hoop successfully it is called running the hoop". In the case of running the hoop, the player gets another turn to hit the ball. This is called a continuation shot. If however the ball stops within the hoop, the player has to await his or her next turn. Often another player will hit that ball out of the hoop providing a setback. This is how a competitive croquet game is played.
