from The World of Croquet by John McCullough and Stephen Mulliner
Arizona Croquet Club
Founded 1975
In croquet, one can play more than one shot in a turn by successfully running through a hoop or by hitting a ball and taking croquet (the hit is called a roquet shot). As in billiards, the roqueted ball may be driven to a spot in the court in the roquet shot and this is referred to as 'rushing' the ball forward.
The croquet shot is at the heart of the game and follows after the roquet of a ball. The striker's ball is picked up and placed next to the roqueted ball. It must be in contact with the ball and the striker must hit the striker ball with the mallet in the croquet shot and both balls must move or 'shake'. You cannot shoot the striker ball away from the roqueted ball, you cannot place it 9 inches away or leave it where it lay after the roquet shot.
from The World of Croquet by John McCullough and Stephen Mulliner
With the proper technique, one can place both balls in the croquet shot almost anywhere on the court in front of the striker. Unlike billiards, one cannot put backspin on the ball and draw the striker ball behind the starting position.
The direction of the croqueted ball is always in line with where the two balls are initially lined up (neglecting small effects not discussed here like pull), but the direction of the striker ball is determined by the direction of the mallet as it strikes the combination of the two balls. One should aim the mallet roughly halfway between the desired positions of the two balls. This is called a split shot.
From the World of Croquet by John McCullough and Stephen Mulliner
When the direction of the mallet is in line with the alignment of the two balls, both balls travel roughly in a straight line. The angle of the mallet relative to the ground when it strikes the balls determines how far the striker ball travels relative to the croqueted ball. When level, the striker ball travels between ¼ and 1/3 the distance of the croqueted ball as this is called the drive shot. When the angle approaches 45 degrees and sufficient follow through is used both balls travel an equal distance and this is called the roll shot.
The distance that the balls travel is determined by the speed of the mallet as it strikes the balls and roughly twice the speed is required for two balls as for one to reach the same distance. The speed of the mallet can be increased by swinging the mallet further in the backswing while maintaining a smooth consistent follow through on all shots.
The two balls in the croquet shot can be put where you want on the court with practice and a combination of speed, angle and direction.
For more information about the club, the game of croquet, coaching or learning the game, please contact Paul Bennett, club secretary, at 3412 E. Sells Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85018, or check out our web-site at http://www.azcroquet.com Our club court is located at 6022 N 64th Place in Paradise Valley.