Lessons Learned

The Hard Way

The most valuable lessons in croquet are often administered by opponents in tournaments. Rarely, one can eke out a win even as one is taught a lesson. But usually, losing provides the fire that sears a croquet lesson permanently on one's consciousness.

Here I present a catalog of my lessons — both learned and administered — from dumb beginner errors to more advanced blunders, in the hope that you, Gentle Reader, might learn vicariously. If some of these lessons seem stupid and self-evident, then I would say my only defense is that sometimes it takes a stupid mistake to really learn a lesson. And of course I would invite you to contribute your own lessons learned on court, the hard way. Don't be bashful; jot down the relevant details and email them to me.

Teacher: Mary Daly (blue/black) Student: Ben Morehead

Venue: Connecticut State Championships Date: Fall 2002

Situation: All balls have no deadness. Blue and black are perhaps two feet apart, well off the boundary, lying 10 feet north of 2-back, giving blue a rush to his next wicket (2 back). Morehead was playing Yellow as last turn was called. After clearing 4-back to tie the game, Yellow landed adjacent to the north boundary, 18 inches from red. At this point, Morehead was very nervous and wanted to be especially conservative so as not to lose the game. In his nervous conservatism, Morehead figures he would give red a rush to his next wicket, and thus turn the game into a two-ball break contest, which he was confident he would win.

Result: Daly attacked with blue, successfully delivering yellow to black. Black scored one wicket to win the match.

Lesson #1: A) When last turn is called in a tie game, you must attack the opponent to prevent him from attacking you. The first successful attacker in last turn wins the match.
B) When you're nervous and in last turn, call time out and calm down before deciding what to do.

Teacher: Bob Flynn (red/yellow) Student: Ben Morehead

Venue: 2002 Greenwich Invitational Date: June 2002

Situation: It is 8:30 in the morning, and Morehead, still groggy, has a plan. Conscious of his grogginess, he will wait for opponent to attack. Morehead enters the game with blue and blithely shoots to the boundary immediately adjacent to hoop 1. Flynn enters with red, and shoots to corner 1! Morehead, now jarred awake, realizes he must immediately attack. He enters with black and gives blue a rush to corner 1. Flynn enters with yellow and pairs up with red. Morehead goes three balls dead with blue to set a three-ball break for black. Morehead begins his break with black, and after a poorly executed split shot, approaches wicket 2 considerably off-axis. After missing the wicket shot, Morehead is five balls dead with no chance of redemption.

Result: Flynn buries Morehead in a rout, and afterward kindly points out Lesson 2 to Morehead.

Lesson #2: A) When your opponent enters the game and shoots to the east boundary, if he fails to get in corner 1, shoot to corner 1. More generally, whenever your opponent gives you a rush to your next wicket, take it.
B) There is much profit to ruffling your opponent during the opening.

Teacher: Ben Morehead Student: Ben Birkhead

Venue: Tri-Club Invitational Date: February 2003

Situation: Ben Birkhead is on a four-ball break and goes through rover.

Result: Ben Morehead gets a three-ball break and stakes out Birkhead's rover ball. The momentum of the game shifts to Morehead (but he loses by one wicket).

Lesson #3: Unless both your balls are for rover, it is generally a bad idea to go through rover against an opponent who is capable of going all the way around. Your opponent can then stake you out, and you will most likely lose the match.

Teacher: Jean Geddes Student: Ben Morehead

Venue: Tri-Club Invitational Date: February 2003

Situation: Morehead, ahead by four wickets with one minute remaining, is on a four-ball break. He misses his approach shot on wicket four, and his ball winds up off-axis by about 30 degrees. Greedy for more wickets, he shoots the wicket and misses.

Result: Geddes uses the resulting four-ball break to go around, and wins handily.

Lesson #4: A) If you are comfortably ahead with little time left in the game, never shoot a difficult wicket shot. Get off the field with your balls and take your win.
B) Never underestimate a little old lady.

Teacher: Rillis Lefton Student: Ben Morehead (blue/black)

Venue: Merion Inter-Club Tournament Date: April 2003

Situation: Morehead uses blue to set a three ball break for black, while preserving blue's aliveness on black. Rillis tries to hit in with red and misses, delivering the fourth ball to Morehead. Morehead, shooting black, successfully retrieves red from the nearby boundary, and sets up a lovely four-ball break. On his last set-up shot, he lands 12 inches directly in front of wicket 2. Confident of his “gimmee” and oblivious to the “five-balls-dead” consequence of missing, he approaches the shot nonchalantly and . . . misses. Rillis uses resulting deadness to put an enormous ass-whipping on Morehead.

Result: Rillis wins in a blow-out.

Lesson #5: A) If you are five balls dead early in a game, take no wicket shot for granted.
B) See 4B above.

Teacher: Ben Birkhead Student: Ben Morehead

Venue: Tri-Club Invitational Final Date: February 2003

Situation: Morehead, playing the first ball in last turn, uses partner ball to make wicket 6. Ahead by four wickets, he is left with a lousy rush to 1-back, and rather than try for more wickets, decides to get off court. Adhering slavishly to the sound practice of husbanding partner deadness, Morehead decides to scoot off the court leaving partner out on the lawn, rather than go partner dead. Birkhead roquets Morehead's ball from a great distance, and then makes a long split shot to his next wicket at 2-back. Birkhead misses his wicket shot.

Result: Morehead wins, and Bob Kroeger kindly points out Lesson #6.

Lesson #6: If you are comfortably ahead in last turn, ignore the normal taboo on going partner dead. It's better to go partner dead getting both balls off the field than it is to leave a ball on the field for your opponent.

Send inquiries to Ben Morehead at "info (at sign) greenwichcroquet.com".

Teacher:	Mary Daly (blue/black)	Student:	Ben Morehead
Venue:	Connecticut State Championships	Date:	Fall 2002
Situation:	All balls have no deadness. Blue and black are perhaps two feet apart, well off the boundary, lying 10 feet north of 2-back, giving blue a rush to his next wicket (2 back). Morehead was playing Yellow as last turn was called. After clearing 4-back to tie the game, Yellow landed adjacent to the north boundary, 18 inches from red. At this point, Morehead was very nervous and wanted to be especially conservative so as not to lose the game. In his nervous conservatism, Morehead figures he would give red a rush to his next wicket, and thus turn the game into a two-ball break contest, which he was confident he would win.
Result:	Daly attacked with blue, successfully delivering yellow to black. Black scored one wicket to win the match.
Lesson #1:	A) When last turn is called in a tie game, you must attack the opponent to prevent him from attacking you. The first successful attacker in last turn wins the match. B) When you're nervous and in last turn, call time out and calm down before deciding what to do.

Teacher:	Bob Flynn (red/yellow)	Student:	Ben Morehead
Venue:	2002 Greenwich Invitational	Date:	June 2002
Situation:	It is 8:30 in the morning, and Morehead, still groggy, has a plan. Conscious of his grogginess, he will wait for opponent to attack. Morehead enters the game with blue and blithely shoots to the boundary immediately adjacent to hoop 1. Flynn enters with red, and shoots to corner 1! Morehead, now jarred awake, realizes he must immediately attack. He enters with black and gives blue a rush to corner 1. Flynn enters with yellow and pairs up with red. Morehead goes three balls dead with blue to set a three-ball break for black. Morehead begins his break with black, and after a poorly executed split shot, approaches wicket 2 considerably off-axis. After missing the wicket shot, Morehead is five balls dead with no chance of redemption.
Result:	Flynn buries Morehead in a rout, and afterward kindly points out Lesson 2 to Morehead.
Lesson #2:	A) When your opponent enters the game and shoots to the east boundary, if he fails to get in corner 1, shoot to corner 1. More generally, whenever your opponent gives you a rush to your next wicket, take it. B) There is much profit to ruffling your opponent during the opening.

Teacher:	Jean Geddes	Student:	Ben Morehead
Venue:	Tri-Club Invitational	Date:	February 2003
Situation:	Morehead, ahead by four wickets with one minute remaining, is on a four-ball break. He misses his approach shot on wicket four, and his ball winds up off-axis by about 30 degrees. Greedy for more wickets, he shoots the wicket and misses.
Result:	Geddes uses the resulting four-ball break to go around, and wins handily.
Lesson #4:	A) If you are comfortably ahead with little time left in the game, never shoot a difficult wicket shot. Get off the field with your balls and take your win. B) Never underestimate a little old lady.

Teacher:	Rillis Lefton	Student:	Ben Morehead (blue/black)
Venue:	Merion Inter-Club Tournament	Date:	April 2003
Situation:	Morehead uses blue to set a three ball break for black, while preserving blue's aliveness on black. Rillis tries to hit in with red and misses, delivering the fourth ball to Morehead. Morehead, shooting black, successfully retrieves red from the nearby boundary, and sets up a lovely four-ball break. On his last set-up shot, he lands 12 inches directly in front of wicket 2. Confident of his “gimmee” and oblivious to the “five-balls-dead” consequence of missing, he approaches the shot nonchalantly and . . . misses. Rillis uses resulting deadness to put an enormous ass-whipping on Morehead.
Result:	Rillis wins in a blow-out.
Lesson #5:	A) If you are five balls dead early in a game, take no wicket shot for granted. B) See 4B above.

Teacher:	Ben Birkhead	Student:	Ben Morehead
Venue:	Tri-Club Invitational Final	Date:	February 2003
Situation:	Morehead, playing the first ball in last turn, uses partner ball to make wicket 6. Ahead by four wickets, he is left with a lousy rush to 1-back, and rather than try for more wickets, decides to get off court. Adhering slavishly to the sound practice of husbanding partner deadness, Morehead decides to scoot off the court leaving partner out on the lawn, rather than go partner dead. Birkhead roquets Morehead's ball from a great distance, and then makes a long split shot to his next wicket at 2-back. Birkhead misses his wicket shot.
Result:	Morehead wins, and Bob Kroeger kindly points out Lesson #6.
Lesson #6:	If you are comfortably ahead in last turn, ignore the normal taboo on going partner dead. It's better to go partner dead getting both balls off the field than it is to leave a ball on the field for your opponent.