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Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Croquet , but Were Afraid to Ask!
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1. Does the term "Sticky Wicket" have
anything to do with Croquet? 11. But, can Croquet get crookedy? Note: the information below has been derived from far too many different sources to keep track of and give proper acknowledgement to. We can only say, Thanks to all who have shown interest in Croquet and for their "due diligence" in tracking down historical facts; you know who you are. Also, we welcome feedback on our Tidbit comments. __________________________________________________________________ 1.
Does the term "Sticky Wicket"
have anything to do with Croquet? Ans: There are conflicting stories here. Some would say it is derived from Cricket; in this context, the Bowler's bouncing of the ball off of unpredictably wet turf can make it difficult to judge by the Batsman. Historically, there were wickets through which the Bowler had to pass the ball; a ball's bounce off of unpredictably soft (or sticky) turf in passing through this area gave rise to the term "Sticky Wicket". However, the following is a far more likely story in our opinion: The rules of Association tournament Croquet nominally specify a ball's fitting through a hoop (ie. wicket) with a clearance of 1/16 of an inch; furthermore, combining this narrowest allowable hoop with the largest allowable ball can result in a clearance of only 1/32 inch. If such a diabolical game is played in stinking hot weather under blistering sun, it is possible that the Black ball (due to its excellent heat absorption) could experience significant thermal expansion. This could make the clearance between the Black ball and wicket exquisitely tight, even to the point of slightly lodging in the wicket, hence, "Sticky Wicket". __________________________________________________________________ 2. Is it Immoral to
play Croquet? Ans: Like all issues of morality, it depends upon who you
ask, but we would like to quote what is surely a high authority
on this subject, no less than the Living Age Journal, 1898,
vol 219, Issue 2832, p199 (found in Cornell University's "Making
of America" archive), article titled, "The Immorality
of Croquet". This Cornell archive is ripe with much wisdom
and moral guidance in matters of Croquet; we quote below a mere
infinitesmal fraction of the large body of rich material available
there: "It is not long
before every honorable feeling, every dictate of morality has been
obliterated. The hoop is the gaping jaw of Hades. It is well if
the enthusiasm of the clergy and laity were enlisted for suppressing
the immoral practice of croquet." Particularly disturbing to those keepers of the moral code was the fact that Croquet was being played by both genders, competing against one another for the first time, on common ground: "As each player
goes through the first hoop, as he undergoes a metamorphosis, the
male antagonist becomes a creature too vile for language, the decency
of womanhood has disappeared by the third hoop."
(thank God there are only 6 hoops......web site ed.) __________________________________________________________________ 3. Where did the word
Croquet come from? Ans: The word Croquet is a French word for "Bent Stick" (see next answer). Of course in our game, the term Croquet refers to the first of two strokes earned when your ball hits that of an opponent. As an added tidbit, the term Roquet refers to the act of actually striking your opponent's ball. __________________________________________________________________ 4. When and Where did
the game of Croquet develop? Ans: The very earliest origins of this genre of entertainment are unclear, but seem to be traceable to 14th century French herders who used crooked (mallet like) sticks to whack balls around through primative hoops in ways that are only reminiscent of modern Croquet. It was popularized in the 17th century by King James of England, but the game did not acquire its modern name (by a French doctor) and its sophistication until the 19th century. A nice overview of the historical evolution of Croquet can be found at this US Croquet Association page: Croquet History. Another take on Croquet history can be seen on the Connecticut eXtreme Croquet History page. __________________________________________________________________ 5. Is it true that
Wimbledon was originally a Croquet Tournament? Ans: The English village of Wimbledon originally hosted Croquet tournaments, but near the end of the 1800's the Wimbledon Croquet tournament was replaced by a tournament for an increasingly popular game called Tennis. __________________________________________________________________ 6. Why Isn't Croquet
an Olympic sport? Ans: Actually it was in the 1904 Olympics (held in the US). The Americans won the Gold as no one else seemed to know how to play the new 9 wicket variant that the Americans had conjured. __________________________________________________________________ 7. What's this 6 Wicket vs 9 Wicket business all about? Ans: Given the essence of the game, which is that of joyfully striking balls through hoops in optimal fashion, one can see that there are many possible ways this could occur. To wit, the number of wickets, their dimensions, their geometrical arrangement, course size, and lastly, the RULES! So, therein lay the distinctions amongst all the variations of Croquet. The more traditional, tightly controlled, and highly competitive variant is often referred to as "Association" Croquet. This convention uses 6 very narrow wickets (barely admitting a ball's passage), and it is under a strict set of equipment and playing rules that serious tournaments are conducted. The typical game of Croquet as played in backyard parties usually employs 9 wickets that are significantly wider. While the backyard game can be exuberantly competitive, its rules are frequently loose and may incorporate "local options". __________________________________________________________________ Ans: Golf Croquet is a variant that can be played with either 6 or 9 wickets, except now the objective is simply to get around the course in the minimum number of strokes (devoid of the gamesmanship and strategy that ensues when you can hit an opponent's ball to your advantage). Wickets are contested one at a time by the playing entourage. Generally it allows many people to play on the same course at once (and they can compete individually). The game and rules are simple, so it's conducive to casual participation. Clubs that are dedicated to Association play often permit and enjoy games of golf Croquet under more party-like conditions. However, in its more tightly controlled manifestation, Golf Croquet can be the subject of serious tournament play also. __________________________________________________________________ 9. Then what the heck is Extreme Croquet? Ans: This is what you do when you have no allegiance to tradition :-) It is surely a Croquet game, as it can share the same type of equipment as the most demanding Association play, but there, all similarity ends. The first thing to go is the beautiful, level, highly manicured grass playing field....Extreme Croquet players have no qualms about driving a ball over a ravine, amidst undergrowth, etc. Indeed tough terrain is almost considered a desirable course attribute (not to mention snow, mud and rain); thus wedge-face mallets are acceptable (and often necessary). Rules can also play a major part in this variant as often the terrain dictates environmentt-specific ground rules; additionally rules can be adopted that change play strategy significantly from Association play. Things get broken, like .balls and yard statuary....it can be dangerous. In one sense, this variant starts to border on some of the attributes of conventional Golf as many folks like to lay out long courses requiring significant drives between wickets. Like Association Croquet, there are also well organized clubs devoted to Extreme Croquet. More about its history can be found on the Connecticut eXtreme Croquet history page......different strokes for different folks make the world interesting!__________________________________________________________________ 10. Well then how BIG can Croquet get? Ans: Well.....is THIS big enough???__________________________________________________________________ 11. But, can Croquet get Crookedy? Ans: Yup, these Mallets are used (with wickets that are just as crooked) by the Bohemian Beach and Croquet Club in Ohio; they have their own Bohemian rules (check out the guestbook at Croquet.com to track down these special rules).
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