Croquet Balls

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Croquet Balls 1Croquet Online offers a range of croquet sets, many of which have different croquet balls. For those looking to play a formal game, the regulation croquet ball will be the most relevant. However, for those looking to play recreationally, with family, or just in a garden for fun, then your requirements are very different.

Regulation Croquet Balls

Regulation croquet balls are for tournament croquet, so only need to be considered if you want to buy a croquet set for serious play! Regulation croquet balls are not just about how much they weigh and what they are made of – things such as the bounce height of the ball, the weight tolerance also come into play.

Townsend Hurlingham BallRegulation balls are 3 5/8” in diameter (plus or minus 1/32” (0.08cm) and weigh exactly 16oz (0.454kg – plus or minus 1/4oz, or 7g). To be regulation the croquet ball will also be tested for rebound (between 30 and 45in or 75 and 112.5cm) when dropped from 60in or 150cm onto a steel plate which is 1in thick and set rigidly in concrete. The bounce is not the only important thing, the consistency of the bounce is also measured, and the bounce height must not differ by more than 3” or 7.5cm.

Standard tournament balls are made from a composite core with a plastic cover, which makes them more durable than the traditional wooden croquet ball.

Regulation croquet balls have to be approved by the Croquet Association – which will carry out the above tests to ensure the balls meets all the standards required. These balls are usually marked as “tournament approved”.

Cottage Longworth BallCroquet Online doesn’t currently sell any Croquet Association approved balls – but please see the Croquet Association website for more information.

Non Regulation Croquet Balls

You can also get Croquet Balls which although not Croquet Association approved (so technically not “regulation” balls, are still the same weight and material. This means that they are still 3 5/8” in diameter, weight 16 ounces and made of composite. They also have a pattern of grooves on the ball to ensure that they grip other croquet balls when they impact them during a game.  

Recreational Use

The balls sold with the Croquet sets at Croquet Online are generally all meant for recreational use. This means that we offer both traditional wooden balls and more durable composite ones. We also sell a variety of weights, and this is something to take into account when choosing a croquet set. Whilst the 3 5/8” 16oz ball will provide the most consistent and best play, it is not going to be suitable for children (the ball will be too heavy) and should only be used with appropriate croquet mallets. A good ball being hit with a lower standard mallet is going to potentially damage the croquet mallet as well as make it harder to hit the ball so harder to play well.

Material

Balls are either made using traditional wood, or from composite. Although the composite is without a doubt more durable and provides a more consistent and better game of croquet, you have to balance this out against the extra cost and whether you have the right quality of mallet. Composite balls come in different sizes as well, whereas the wooden balls tend to be 12oz, which is the most suitable for children.

Composite Croquet Balls

Uber Croquet BallsPros

  • Durability – composite balls do not get damaged when you hit them (either with a mallet or with another ball)
  • Consistency – composite balls are more consistent than wooden ones (related to durability)

Cons

  • Composite balls cost more than wooden balls. Uber wooden 12oz balls can be purchased for £30 for a set of four, whilst a composite set of four 12oz balls will cost £50
  • Can only be used with superior quality mallets

Wooden Croquet Balls

Pros

  • Cheaper than composite balls
  • Suitable for garden recreational croquet
  • Suitable for younger people

Cons

  • Not as durable, and likely to get marked / chipped.
  • Not as consistent as composite balls when hit

Size

Although there is not an enormous difference in size of balls, it is definitely worth bearing in mind who is going to be playing with the croquet set before you decide anything as weights do differ subsantially. We sell balls weighing from 9oz, to 16oz – which equates to 3in in diameter up to 3 5/8in. The actual size of the balls therefore is not hugely variant, but children are going to find it much harder to play with the heaviest balls. As mentioned above, the heavier balls will also need better croquet mallets to prevent a mismatch.

Primary and Secondary colours

Croquet Balls 2nd Colour4 Player Croquet Sets come with 4 balls – containing the primary croquet colours. These are red, black, blue and yellow. If you are going to play with more players you can supplement your set with a set of secondary colour balls, which are green, white, brown and pink.

The 6 player sets naturally already come with 6 balls (the primary colours and then the green and white from the secondary set).

 

What does each set have?

  • Family Croquet Set from Uber Games - Wooden Croquet Balls, 9oz and 3” diameter
  • Junior Executive Croquet Set from Uber Games - Wooden Croquet Balls, 9oz and 3” diameter
  • Sandford Croquet Set from Garden Games - Wooden Croquet Balls, 2 sizes – 12oz and 6oz
  • Garden Croquet Set from Uber Games - Wooden Croquet Balls, 12oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • Pro Croquet Set from Uber Games – Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • Longworth Croquet Set from Garden Games - Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • Townsend Croquet Set from Garden Games - Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • Townsend 6 Player Croquet Set from Garden Games - Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • Longworth 6 Player Croquet Set from Garden Games - Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • 6 Player Pro Croquet Set from Uber Games - Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • Executive Croquet Set from Uber Games - Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • Championship Croquet Set from Uber Games - Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter
  • Hurlingham Croquet Set from Garden Games - Composite Croquet Balls, 16oz and 3 5/8” diameter

Costs of Croquet Balls

Croquet Online offers Uber Games balls starting from £30 for a set of four (primary or secondary colours). These are 12oz wooden balls, and the price increases with size and for composite balls. A set of 4 16oz composite balls costs £60. You can buy tournament balls from and also single balls from the Croquet Association who offer both lighter weight Garden Croquet balls (such as Townsend and Longworth balls) as well as CA Approved Croquet Balls from Sunshiny and Dawson. These range from £200 for a set of 4 to £360 for the set.  

To buy croquet balls separately please see our dedicated section with a range of wooden and composite primary and secondary colour balls. They are all provided with their own storage bag per set.

View Croquet Balls here

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  • Andre Boeke