Semi finals doubles, 2008 US National Association Championships.

Time left is just over an hour. What would you do?

This question posted by Jerry Stark.....

The normal answer is to place your ball in corner 3 (or 1). The witty response is for opponent to place a ball in corner 1 (or 3), forcing you to play a difficult cross-diagonal roll to dig both balls out or give them the innings. An alternate continuation on a difficult court is to approach hoop 1 from corner 1 directly and hope to use the ball in C3 as hoop 3 pioneer.

Some better options are:

1. West end of B Baulk (or east end of A Baulk)
2. Just outside corner 3 so that the ball can be rushed west. This can be cheekily done in a manner to suggest the ball is actually in corner 3
3. Just outside corner 1; this can be effective against top players if they make a couple of hoops (auto-pop) but there is the danger they will go round

Again our thanks to Chris Patmore for supplying a great question and answer!

Blue has predictably been placed in C1 (C3 would have been the other alternative)

What should Red now do?

The court is flat and reasonably quick (12 Plummers).

You now have to place a correct ball in balk. What do you do?

Our thanks to Chris Patmore for this question!

The answer submitted by Samir Patel was excellent, and in particular (c) was our answer of choice. This is where Red croquets Yellow to corner IV (or I) and sets a leave there, with Blue and Black as shown.

Use of a full roll would also give you a chance of wiring Red and Yellow from Blue, which is shown here

Red has just roqueted Yellow

Red is for #2 and Yellow for 4-back

Blue and Black clips are not relevant

What play would you now do?

Very often when the reverse cannon is played, the newly rushed ball fails to gain good position. This can put a lot of pressure on the following stop shot.

An interesting alternative is to play a little roll cannon, making sure that the back ball does not run into the forward one! From here it is easy to roquet to your preferred position for the stop shot.

An added advantage occurs if you initially created the cannon with your partner ball, as it can be sent to the trap line.

This situation occurs all the time, and so we all need to be aware of the many alternatives available. The biggest thing is to go out and try these for yourself to see which suits you. Remember that a World Class player will no doubt tackle things a lot differently! You could:

1. try to make hoop 1?
2. roll both balls to the west border level with hoop 6 and set your self a rush on the opponent's ball to your east border ball?
3. send the opponent ball to about 5 yards SW of hoop 2 and set your partner a rush to it?
4. hit the opponent ball out of court about a yard north of your partner ball while running your striker's ball 3-4 yards past the peg?

The standard method for State Level and higher players would be to play a slightly thick take off moving opponent to the maximum distance spot and about 2 yards in lawn on the Western side and then leave a good rush to just south of this ball for partner at the max distance spot on the East boundary....This ensures:

1. A higher likelihood of leaving a good rush and not a double
2. The ability to croquet partner to 2 from closer, moving the strikers ball less than 2 yards
3. If you succeed, you will leave your oppo with a 19 yard shot

The animated example (NOT a definitive answer!) shows a pass roll where the opponent ball is left several yards from the peg and the striker ball ends up near partner. A rush can be then left which does not leave a double target.

If the pass roll leaves the striker a long way from partner, then the setting of a rush could be problematic. In this case it may well be better to hit out quite close to partner. A true double target may well not be left for yellow due to hoop #3 being in the way, and a miss by Yellow will leave many great options for Blue and Black.

The Standard Opening has been employed, and Black has hit the tice ball.

There are many options now available, but what do you think is the best line of play to adopt?

Remember, to submit an answer click on the "comment" link at the bottom left of this image!

Even the very best players in the World successfully roquet at 15 yards less than 50% of the time. How much less the rest of we mortals - especially if the price for missing will be high?!

Therefore, the shots on offer here are NOT as easy as they seem. If you think that (in this example) the chance of an immediate break is less than 50% for you, then probably the best thing to do is to take the shot at Black with Red. If you miss then the pressure is still high for Black, as he knows that Yellow will next go to the A Baulk where partner lies.

If Red hits then there is a great leave here as illustrated, with Red located in a wired position from Black at Yellow's wicket!