My Knee Ended My Tennis Career. Croquet Gave Me Something Better.

I played tennis for thirty years. Golf for twenty. I thought I knew what sport looked like.

Then my knee gave out.

The surgeon said no more running, no more pivoting. My wife suggested walking groups. My son suggested lawn bowls. I nodded politely at both and felt a small part of myself quietly close up shop.

A neighbour invited me to "hit a few balls around" at his croquet club. I said yes mostly to be polite. I expected gentle applause and not much else.

What I found was a game that made me think harder than chess and move more than I expected. No running, sure — but plenty of walking, bending, stretching. And the mental side? I hadn't concentrated that hard in years.

After six months, I caught myself thinking: Why didn't I start this at 50?

If I'd had twenty more years of this game, imagine where I'd be. The strategy alone takes a lifetime to master. I'd wasted decades chasing a little white ball around a golf course when I could have been here — outthinking opponents, learning new shots, actually improving at something.

Here's the part that surprised me. My doctor noticed it first.

"Your cognitive tests are better than last year," she said. "What changed?"

Croquet. That's what changed.

The game forces you to think three moves ahead. To read the lawn. To manage frustration. To stay calm when you're losing. It's a workout for your brain disguised as a garden party.

I'm 72 now. I started at 67. I wish I'd started at 50.

But here's what I tell every new player: the second-best time to start is today. You're already ahead of where I was.

If you've got a competitive streak that's outlasted your knees, croquet might surprise you.