GC America

Are You “Over-Cooking” Your Stop-Shot?

By Cheryl Bromley

A stop-shot is a useful and satisfying stroke in the game of golf croquet. However, have you ever had a great situation with your striker ball 6 to 12 inches from the opponent ball in good position to execute a stop-shot and finish in front of the hoop, only to be frustrated when your striker ball careens out of control after contacting the opponent ball?

This may be caused by trying to do too much, i.e., “over-cooking” your striker ball by hitting with too much pace and enthusiasm. It’s thrilling to be able to send one’s opponent out of bounds, but keep in mind you don’t need to send the opponent ball 10 feet beyond the boundary line. You only need to send it far enough to break the plane of the line for the ball to be out of bounds.

Secondly, to control your striker ball, your focus should be on your mallet making contact with the center of your ball and aiming to hit the center of the opponent’s ball. Center-to-center contact best transfers the energy from one ball to the other and allows you to control your striker ball. Naturally, enough space needs to be between the balls so as not to commit a double tap.

Below are two drills to try during your next practice session.

Drill #1: Stop Shots to the Boundary (This drill can be done using just two balls)

Set up your striker ball 6 to 8 inches from an opponent ball near a corner hoop. Go through your pre-shot routine and hit a stop-shot with the intention of sending the opponent ball to land just a few inches beyond the boundary line. You may be surprised at how little effort is needed to send the opponent ball away. Do this multiple times until you master the “feel” of how much pace is needed.

Next, position the striker ball 3 to 4 inches from an opponent ball and do the same exercise. With the balls closer together, it is important to be able to stop your mallet and not cause a double tap. Vary the speed of your stop-shot until you find a comfortable pace to accomplish your objective. Note the smallest distance the balls can be apart where you feel comfortable and you are able to execute a proper stop-shot without committing a fault.

Drill #2: Promote and Snuggle

This is a fun drill that can be added to your warm-up routine. Designate one ball as your striker ball and the other ball as your partner ball. Hit a gentle stop-shot to promote your partner ball a medium distance of 10 to 12 feet. Then, hit your striker ball again and try to make it stop right near the partner ball without touching it, i.e., snuggle up to it. This drill is a great way to practice setting tight blocks as it accomplishes both a controlled stop-shot and a placement/blocking shot.

Bonus: How to Inform Your Opponent in a Social Game that They’ve Committed a Double Tap

All too often I hear stories of players being harshly told by their opponents that they are not permitted to hit a particular shot as it will surely be a fault. Obviously, if you are in a tournament game, raise your mallet and ask a referee to watch the shot. However, in a social game, you’ll have to work this out with your opponent. Here is one suggestion that might help maintain your friendship for future games: Allow your opponent to take their shot, then use the result as a friendly learning opportunity.

From your own experience, you might say something to the effect of, “I’ve previously hit a shot just like that when the balls were just an inch apart during a tournament when a referee was watching the shot. Because the striker ball rolled on with the opponent ball and did not split apart 90 degrees, it was called a double tap. So, the shot you just hit would more than likely be called a fault.”

Or, maybe you’ve watched YouTube slow-motion videos on the topic and can give them a more scientific explanation.

Perhaps you give them one freebie as a gentle warning but let them know you will be watching those types of shots more closely going forward. Check out Rule 15.2 for more information.