What Reg Bamford’s 16 Perfect Peg Shots Can Teach You About Croquet
We break down world champion Reg Bamford's 16 perfect shots to reveal how a simple, repeatable routine builds legendary consistency.
Croquet has changed while you weren’t paying attention.
The sport is undergoing a revolution, and there's no better authority on its modern state than Reg Bamford. A South African native who lives in England, Bamford is one of croquet’s greatest ever champions and he’s keen to set the record straight about croquet in the modern world.
The game's reputation is hopelessly out of date.
"More and more, croquet is becoming quite popular," Bamford, a 7-time World Champion , said in a recent interview, explaining that the game today is "very different to what it was 20 or 30 years ago."
You only need to look at the players themselves to see the proof.
This isn't just an older person's game anymore. Far from it.
"Of the last 16 [in the British Open], I'd say eight or nine of them would have been under the age of 30,"
Incredibly, the current croquet world champion is a 17 years old American teenager.
That kind of youthful energy, combined with updated rules designed to make play more strategic, is transforming croquet into a dynamic game of technique and guile.
But while this new talent is certainly pushing the sport to new heights, Bamford, at 57, believes croquet's modern appeal is also a massive opportunity for a completely different group of people.
Croquet is perfect sport for anyone looking for their next chapter in an active life.
"It's a game that I think is very much suited to people who've perhaps stopped playing tennis, because that is actually quite physical."
For anyone who misses the thrill of the contest, croquet presents the perfect opportunity.
It’s one of the few sports where you can pick up a mallet later in life and still enter the world of competitive play.
Croquet offers a wealth of benefits and challenges woven into a single, enjoyable afternoon.
It's a social activity where you meet a whole host of interesting people, all while getting some exercise and fresh air.
Players find themselves easily hitting 5,000 steps in a game without even noticing. And beneath it all lies a fascinating challenge, a constant mental stimulation that keeps you engaged.
Best of all?
Croquet is incredibly easy to enjoy.
"It's a very simple game," Bamford says. "A game that you can pick up in five minutes."
That elegant simplicity, where anyone can start playing almost immediately, is what makes croquet so special. It has a low barrier to entry but a lifetime's worth of strategic complexity.
All across Queensland, people of all ages are discovering this for themselves, leaving the old stereotypes behind for a vibrant and brilliantly tactical sport.
Now, it's your turn. Come and try croquet, and discover what a man who has won it all confidently calls "the best game on earth."
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