Although there is some similarity between Croquet and Golf (both are played on grass, or should be anyway, both use balls, both are played by using some sort of club or mallet to move the balls, etc…) most people don’t usually associate the two. However there is one way to relate the two sports in a way that may help you on the golf course with your takeaway.

Even if you’ve never played croquet it’s easy to understand that if you want to roll the croquet balls accurately you must swing the mallet in such a way as to have the head very very close to the ground as you approach the ball and even for a few inches past the point of contacting the ball. This is why many, if not most, croquet shots are executed by swinging the mallet between your legs like a pendulum. It promotes an arc that is “flat” at the bottom.

When taking the club head away on a golf shot you need to do the same thing. That is, don’t pull the club head up to quickly, but rather try to take it away slowly and smoothly so you flatten the “arc” at the bottom of the swing. This is especially important any time you are hitting off a tee with a driver or fairway wood.

To promote the feeling of a long, slow, flat arc on your tee shots imagine that your club (driver or fairway wood) is going to try to roll a croquet ball backwards from your golf ball. Your objective is not to hit the imaginary croquet ball a long way, but rather to start it rolling smoothly. This way you improve the motion of your takeaway which gives you a much better chance to return your club head on the correct swing plane to your golf ball.