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.
Read MoreBest Croquet Sets To Buy
Looking for a good croquet set seems simple, but the reality is you are unlikely to find a good set in any of the box stores and it is almost as challenging online. The market is made up of cheaply made sets that are in reality worthless. I’ll get into specifics and details later,<b>but my top recommendation for a first croquet set is
Read MoreProduct Review: Oakley Woods Brighton Mallet
Price: $181 (with aluminum shaft and 11” head)
Phone: 866-364-8895
Other: Rounded or square heads available (tested with round head)
Recommendation: If you are playing in more than event per season, this is a great first “real” mallet.
For the casual player this is a great mallet that will get you through the social backyard game or allow you to play in some competitive tournaments. The Croquet Store/Oakley Woods taper-lock system gives the mallet a solid, one-piece feel. For backyard play (longer grass) the rounded head is nice because it is less likely to catch on un-even terrain. Of course, if you are a backyard player, $181 may seem a little excessive. You could easily go with an ash shaft and skip the grip to bring the price down to a more affordable $125. The Croquet Store is based in Canada, so the shipping is a little more expensive, but the website ordering is fairly straight-forward. I generally order from this vendor once a year and they are good about shipping out in a timely fashion.
Another note for the casual player. If you are still using the “golf swing” for croquet , there are two things you should know. One, stop it. Two, the Brighton may be too heavy for you to stay consistent on your “Tiger Woods” swing. If you are dedicated to the golf swing, you should probably look into the Extreme Mallet.