Strathfield Croquet Club Inc.

Inside the Jump Shot -
Part 1
How do you get it to jump?
Plenty of good videos on the internet show techniques for getting your ball to jump.
Just search croquet jump shot video
This brief presentation does not promote any particular technique.
It simply focuses on what they have in common to help your ball jump
Look at a jump shot executed by a proficient player
Is he lifting the ball?
Is he lofting it like a golf shot?
… you might think that somehow he has managed to glue the ball to the mallet.
On the contrary,
what he is doing is
hitting the ball into the ground
so it bounces
Part 2
Fundamentals of technique.
Almost all the technique videos have two elements in common: 
Move so that you are     standing over the ball
Shorten your grip
This presentation looks at why  that is so
Why stand over the ball?
In a standard swing 
you swing the mallet through the back of the ball… 
you hit the ball at the lowest  part of your swing, 
you hit the ball parallel to the ground
To make the ball jump, 
you need to hit it into the ground
To do thaat you need to hit the ball while your mallet is moving down.
To do thaat you will need to move closer to your ball.
If you do not move close enough, your ball will bounce rather than jump.
A bouncing ball is a common feature of many beginners, who often stand too close to the ball in their normal swing.
Moving closer to the ball helps your mallet strike at a sharper angle
How close is “close enough” varies from player to player.
You will find what suits you by practice.
Why shorten your grip?
Even if you stand well over your ball, your swing may still be too shallow.
And your ball may not jump cleanly.
If you move your hands down the mallet a bit…
…you will shorten your swing
…and your mallet will come down at a sharper angle
But now your swing may be a little higher…
So lower your swing a  little …
By bending your knees a little…
So, to recap:
Your ball will jump if you hit it sharply into the ground 
by Moving so that you are standing over your ball…
And shortening your grip…
…So hitting your ball down at a steeper angle.
Good Jumping!