Your Club's Loan Mallets Are Teacups

If you invited a guest into your home for the first time, would you serve them tea in a chipped, stained mug?

Most people wouldn't dream of it. You'd reach for a nice, clean cup. The message is simple: we're happy you're here, we value your company.

Your loan mallets are your club's teacups.

Clubs hand loan mallets to two kinds of visitor. Some are trying croquet for the first time. Others are guests at social functions. For both, the mallet is their first contact with the game. It shapes what they think of croquet and of your club.

Come and Try is a free three-week course run by clubs across Queensland. All equipment is provided, so the loan mallet is the first thing a newcomer is handed.

Worn loan mallets at a croquet club (Worn loan mallets at a croquet club)

A tatty, splintered mallet with a worn grip makes the ball harder to hit. It also tells the visitor they are an afterthought. A solid, well-balanced mallet with a comfortable grip tells them the club cares. It helps them hit the ball cleanly.

Croquet Queensland puts it simply:

"The goal is simple: every person who visits a Queensland croquet club should feel welcomed, valued, and have the best chance to fall in love with the sport."

A quality Gryphon croquet mallet by Oakley Woods (A quality Gryphon croquet mallet by Oakley Woods)

Here are three ways to fix up worn mallets.

First, sand and re-varnish the heads and shafts. You need sandpaper, a brush and varnish from Bunnings. It is a weekend job.

Second, replace worn grips. Tennis and hockey shops sell them, and most will fit them for you.

Third, if your club has no one to do the work, ask your local Men's Shed. Its members have the skills and tools to do a batch of mallets.

Newcomers who are welcomed this way are more likely to come back.

Has your club fixed up its loan mallets? Share your photos, grip tips and how you paid for replacements in the forum under the ClubHub guide on loan mallets. Your answers will become a resource for all 41 Queensland clubs.