Croquet: Competition Your Body Can Handle

Miss competitive sport but your body won't cooperate? Croquet offers real competition without the impact. Find your nearest Queensland club.

Croquet Queensland Media

Jun 7, 2025

I played tennis for 30 years. Then my knees decided they were done. The doctor said I could keep playing if I wanted to, but I'd pay for it. Every serve, every lunge, every sprint to the net would cost me the next two days.

So I stopped. And I thought that was it for competitive sport.

It wasn't.

A friend dragged me to a croquet club. I went expecting lawn bowls with mallets. I left realising I'd found something I could actually do, week after week, without wrecking myself.

Why Croquet Works When Other Sports Don't

The mechanics are completely different from anything that destroyed your joints:

Walking on soft grass. A typical game covers one to two kilometres. Your joints absorb almost no impact.

A pendulum swing from the shoulders. No twisting. No sudden movements. No overhead motion that tears rotator cuffs apart.

Complete control over pace. You move when you're ready. No reactive sprints. No defensive lunges.

Compare that to tennis, golf, or even bowls. Croquet is gentler on your body than almost any sport that still offers genuine competition.

The Research Is Clear

Physiotherapists consistently say the worst thing for aging joints is stopping movement altogether. Joints need regular, gentle use. The surrounding muscles need strengthening. Sitting still accelerates decline.

The challenge is finding activity you can do consistently without paying for it the next day.

Research backs this up. Group-based balance and coordination activities reduce fall risk by 40 to 64 percent. Croquet specifically improves hand-eye coordination, flexibility, and balance through low-impact movement with minimal spinal twisting. It meets Australian Physical Activity Guidelines for older adults: moderate-intensity exercise combined with balance training.

People who stay active in club-based sports show 30 to 40 percent lower healthcare costs over time. The data is straightforward: keep moving, stay healthier, spend less time in hospitals.

What Former Athletes Say

The tennis player: "I missed the one-on-one competition. The strategy. The precision. Croquet gave me all three without the overhead motion that destroyed my shoulder."

The golfer: "I loved the strategy of golf but couldn't handle five-hour rounds anymore. Croquet gives me that depth in a three-hour midweek session."

The runner: "I ran marathons until my knees gave out. I missed the goal-setting, the training, the satisfaction of improvement. Croquet gave me back that progressive challenge without the impact."

They all arrived expecting something gentle and slow. They discovered state championships, national tournaments, and international competition.

Common Questions

Will I actually get a workout?

You'll walk a couple of kilometres, engage your core with every swing, and concentrate for two to three hours. You'll feel pleasantly tired, not exhausted and damaged.

Do I need special gear for my joints?

Flat-soled shoes. That's it. No braces, no supports, no expensive equipment.

I have arthritis. Can I still play?

Many players do. The gentle, controlled movements often help rather than hurt. Check with your doctor, but most find croquet is one of the few sports they can enjoy without inflammation flaring up.