Shuffling Stubbies Practice Routine
By: Keith Aiton
Place two balls a yard apart on the West boundary roughly level with hoop 1. With a third ball (as striker's ball) take-off from one of the balls getting a rush on the other one to hoop 1. Rush to the hoop, approach it and run it so as to obtain a rush back to the ball remaining on the West boundary. Rush back to the West boundary and repeat the exercise until failure (which apart from the usual end of turn errors includes failing to rush back to the West boundary), or until bored. If the latter occurs then try the same exercise, but rushing to hoop 5, or if you get really good, hoop 4.
Play a three ball break starting at hoop 1, but do not take any rush you obtain after running a hoop, ie : practice the split shots etc that can arise.
Play a three ball break but try and do a straight peel at every hoop.
Play a three ball break but peel one of the balls through the last three hoops, ie : the three ball triple.
Play a two ball break round hoops 1, 5, 4, 5, 2-back, 5............ etc.
Place a ball in each corner and then with another ball as striker's ball play round the corners via a roquet and take-off from each of the balls in turn, leaving the balls in the corners (not as easy as it might sound).
Starting by taking croquet on the East boundary level with hoop 5, make a two ball break from hoop 1, ie : as though playing the second turn of the game.
I also practice a lot of actual game situations, eg making a leave, picking up the second break after a missed lift, the double peel finish either straight or with the penult peel going to 4-back, the triple peel with the first peel going to hoop 6, 1-back, or 3-back.
For hoop running I take just one ball and practice running a hoop alternately backwards and forwards, eg hoop 1, 2-back, 1, 2-back etc until failure. This gives me confidence running hoops with control.
I think that's enough to be going on with.......
Keith Aiton
of Nottingham, UK
kmhaiton@email.msn.com
John.Riches@adelaide.on.net
Play a three ball break starting at hoop 1, but do not take any rush you obtain after running a hoop, ie : practice the split shots etc that can arise.
Play a three ball break but try and do a straight peel at every hoop.
Play a three ball break but peel one of the balls through the last three hoops, ie : the three ball triple.
Play a two ball break round hoops 1, 5, 4, 5, 2-back, 5............ etc.
Place a ball in each corner and then with another ball as striker's ball play round the corners via a roquet and take-off from each of the balls in turn, leaving the balls in the corners (not as easy as it might sound).
Starting by taking croquet on the East boundary level with hoop 5, make a two ball break from hoop 1, ie : as though playing the second turn of the game.
I also practice a lot of actual game situations, eg making a leave, picking up the second break after a missed lift, the double peel finish either straight or with the penult peel going to 4-back, the triple peel with the first peel going to hoop 6, 1-back, or 3-back.
For hoop running I take just one ball and practice running a hoop alternately backwards and forwards, eg hoop 1, 2-back, 1, 2-back etc until failure. This gives me confidence running hoops with control.
I think that's enough to be going on with.......
Keith Aiton
of Nottingham, UK
kmhaiton@email.msn.com
John.Riches@adelaide.on.net