If you’ve jumped into the sport of croquet and are playing regularly, you may be looking to take the leap and buy your first mallet. That applies if you are on lightning-fast six-wicket courts or even if you are in a backyard or park club. The good news is you can get in for much less than a set of golf clubs. The downside in the US is that your options for buying a mallet in person are near zero. That’s tough because mallets are really about comfort and feel, so players in the US generally get exposed to new mallet models by running into other players at regional or national tournaments and borrowing a sought-after model for a quick tryout. From there, the buying process is most likely going to involve one of the select online options available and I will detail those below.
Through our club in Kansas City, we get a fair number of new players just starting out that are not on the regional circuit and I’ve written a brief Croquet Network guide for players looking to purchase a first croquet mallet in cases where they may not get a trial opportunity.
CROQUET Mallet Size and SPECIFICATIONS
The first thing that players will encounter when they go online will be a variety of choices around materials, shaft length, head length and weight. The exact right head size and weight can be very nuanced depending on player style. And that same scenario also applies to shaft height. But as a general rule for a first mallet, I think an 11-inch head and a 36-inch shaft is a good starting point. Eleven inches provides a decent amount of resistance to twisting and 36 inches for shaft height is generally enough for tall players. If you are shorter and you find that 36 inches just seems like too much, most of the entry-level mallets noted below have a wooden shaft and you can cut those down later. That being said if you are 5’5” inches or shorter, a 35- or 34-inch mallet would probably work.
Moving beyond the general specs, here are the mallets I would suggest considering for an initial mallet purchase, starting with the most affordable options:
Oakley Woods Brighton
Oakley Woods Brighton Mallet:
$120 with cushion grip
The Brighton Mallet was technically my second mallet, but the first mallet that I purchased after deciding to really learn the game. I went for the aluminum shaft (plus $56) and I still have both the shaft and head 15 years later and both still get used for backyard play. This model features a round head machined from a solid billet of polyethylene to provide an extremely durable striking surface. I was able to learn and execute all of the fundamental shots of the six-wicket game with the mallet and still think this is a great first option. I upgraded after about two years to the retired Purple Heart from Oakley. For the Brighton, the standard option is a nine-inch head, but you can upgrade to the 11” for just $5.00. If you go for the no-grip option, that takes the price down $15, but I certainly think the grip is worth the $15. Oakley Woods is based in Toronto, so shipping costs are something to consider. See the full description and specifications: Brighton Mallet
Oakley Woods Brighton III
Oakley Woods Brighton III:
$120 base (+$56 for an aluminum shaft)
The Brighton III is similar to the white Brighton but offers the more traditional square head, which is also machined from a solid piece of tough, high-density polyethylene and comes in a sporty black with light blue flecks. For the Brighton III, there is no upcharge for the longer head sizes and again, if you want to forgo the cushion grip, that brings the price down by $15. Also of note, most of the Oakley Woods heads and shafts are interchangeable. See the full description and specifications: BRIGHTON III
Acadia Mallet Head Options
Arcadia from Oakley Woods:
$180 base price
The Acadia is a step up to a wooden head and is made of white ash and utilizes black phenolic striking faces. Like the Brighton III, there is no upcharge for increasing the head length and your option include 9”, 10”, 11” and 12”. You can upgrade to the aluminum shaft (+$56) or even a graphite shaft for an additional $141. However, if you are stepping up to that budget, it might be time to consider some of the upper- level models. See the full description and specifications: ARCADIA
Going All In: Mallets Above $300
George Wood Evolution Mallet
If you are accelerating to the upper range, Oakley Wood’s top models are the PREDATOR and the GRYPHON. I’ve played with the Predator ever since I saw David Maloof use one on his way to the World AC Final in 2016. I use a 12-inch head, which is great for accuracy, but more challenging for jump shots at my height (5’ 7”). I like the Predator for the wider head, but that’s a matter of personal preference as top players across the world use square heads, round heads and flat heads as well.
At the same level, George Wood has a US distributor and the Evolution is similar in style to the Oakley Woods Gryphon. See the full description and specifications: EVOLUTION (shocroquet.com) or on the main GEORGE WOOD website (New Zealand).
New PFC Hoop Maker Elite
Going to the next tier, White Tie Croquet is a distributor for the PFC Hoop Maker line (Australia) which just introduced a new PFC HOOP MAKER ELITE for $650. The Hoop Maker mallet heads are made from an aluminum metal alloy and by all reports are relatively indestructible. So, the case for spending more can be justified knowing that you’ll have a mallet that’s going to last and be suitable for both court play and long grass. See the full description and specifications: ELITE (Whitetiecroquet.com) and PFC Hoop Maker main website (Australia).
PLAN FOR THE TRADE-UP
While the investment in your first mallet isn’t trivial, if you are at a club or in a community where there is active interest and growth in the sport, there will likely always be the opportunity to sell your first mallet to a newcomer at a fair price. Knowing that takes the pressure off that first purchase.