SWAN articles
Using the Rush Line
What is the Rush Line? In figure 1 with Red in the position shown, suppose that Blue wishes to rush …Read More »Introduction to Wiring
There is a saying that the mark of a first class player is not how he plays the break, but …Read More »Some Thoughts to Consider
I am delighted to have been asked to contribute some thoughts to SWAN and have been given a wide brief. …Read More »Moss Control
You won’t need me to tell you that we have had the wettest winter since records began, and those of …Read More »Cannons for Beginners
1 The Banana and Wafer Cannons – SWAN 14 (1995) Introduction The title is intended to signify ‘beginners in the …Read More »How to Get Out of the B-League
Playing croquet is like waiting for a bus; you wait eleven years for a trophy and then several come at …Read More »Artistic Openings
“Bob’s looking around the lawn, wondering what cunning strategy to use with the first ball. It looks like he’s heading …Read More »With a Little Help from my Friends
When long-bisquers say to me "what's your handicap?" and I reply "minus one and a half" they often assume …Read More »Early Croquet Memories
The Club I’d had two months of hearing about ‘The Croquet Club’ my dad had joined. We could play Croquet …Read More »Factors to Consider when Buying a Mallet
Although some of what I say will be in the context of the Manor House range of mallets, the …Read More »Budleigh on the Mat (using the CA carpet to recruit new members)
At the end of the1999 season the Budleigh Salterton club started planning its programme for the following season. As …Read More »What has the CA Got to Do with Me?
That’s the question I often hear when I talk with croquet players who don’t go to tournaments, or with members …Read More »Lily Gower – The Rise of a Lady Champion
The Budleigh July tournament of 1898 attracted more attention than usual, for a player of unrivalled skill was to take …Read More »Back in Time’s Deep Shade
The first issue of the Croquet Association Gazette appeared on Wednesday 27th April 1904, and the remaining parts of Volume 1 …Read More »The Ranking System Explained
I have been told that to many club players, who have never reached the dizzy heights of advanced tournaments, the …Read More »Banning the Four Ball Break
By the early twentieth century the skills of croquet players had improved so much that many tournament games between top …Read More »Practice Routines
As gleaned from Keith Aiton, David Magee, Chris Williams and James Mackay If you want to play better croquet …Read More »Ibbelgen’s Eye Wash
The contributor who signed himself “NOT GEORGE” submitted no less than five short stories to the Croquet Gazettes of 1912 …Read More »Ibbelgen Again
The contributor who signed himself “NOT GEORGE” submitted no less than five short stories to the Croquet Gazettes of 1912 …Read More »Report on 2005 SWF Handicap Conference
REPORT ON SOUTH WEST FEDERATION HANDICAP CONFERENCE SUNDAY 20th MARCH 2005 AT NAILSEA CROQUET CLUB The conference started …Read More »Luck
(This article was published in the Croquet Gazette dated 27th. February, 1908. It seems that bad luck has always accompanied …Read More »Greek Meets Greek (Account of a Game in 1904)
Greek meets Greek An account of a game played in 1904 Submitted by Allen Parker [This was the old …Read More »How Good a Referee Are You?
How Good a Referee Are You? (Answers Below) Taken with the author’s permission from ‘The Lighter Side of Serious Croquet’ by …Read More »The 1872 Wimbledon Tournament
“……Near the village of Wimbledon, on the very brink of the railway that hurries you thither and then bears off …Read More »Accuracy of the Rush
A miss is as good as a mile if we are trying to hit a ball, but a near miss …Read More »Peeling Principles
The break should never be sacrificed for the sake of peels. Peeling requires good control of rushing, hoop approaches and …Read More »South West Federation History
South West Federation History ~ Ray Ransom’s Farewell Address to the AGM Cast your mind back to November 1984. Reagan had …Read More »The Idiot’s Guide to Playing the Wrong Ball in Golf Croquet
Most players when first reading the new GC Laws book will be very mystified when they read the provisions for …Read More »Practice Routine
This practice routine is designed to help with: angled hoop running, the slight pull associated with gentle take-offs the five …Read More »Some Thoughts on Double Banking
The first time that you play a double-banked game, the idea of 8 balls on one lawn can be quite …Read More »The Croquet Widower (poem)
She left me all day looking after the dog but being on nights, I slept like a log. Had to mop up …Read More »How Well do you Know the Laws of Association Croquet?
The following questions are a sample taken from the CA website where you will find a Fun Quiz in the Laws of …Read More »Why I Dislike the Wrong Ball Law (Golf Croquet)
In 2005 the Golf Croquet Laws stated that “If the striker first strikes any ball other than the striker’s ball …Read More »Positive Croquet Thinking
Be positive in all there is about a game of croquet. Never doubt about succeeding. Own the court, even when …Read More »Rules Governing Time Limited Games in Association Croquet
The away team decides time limits before the game starts. Someone, preferably an independent person, should be detailed to …Read More »Golf Croquet Laws Questions
Q1. In a singles game, Mabel, playing her Blue ball, scores hoop 5 immediately after her opponent had played his …Read More »Beginners’ Guide to Croquet (fun glossary)
Compiled by the Secretary of the Much Myssing Croquet Club Advanced Average age of our members. Breaks Popular …Read More »Common Occurrences in Association Coquet – What Happens?
Playing the wrong ball In simple terms, if the error is discovered before the first stroke of the opponent’s next …Read More »CA Fees – The Case for Change
I believe the time has come when we need to reconsider how we fund croquet in England. In my article …Read More »A Beginners’ Guide to Advanced and Super Advanced Rules
As you may know, the top Association Croquet players have been debating over the last few years how to make …Read More »What to Do When my Game is Off
This question was posed on the Nottingham Croquet Mailing List and the following answer was given by Jenny Clarke from New Zealand, …Read More »