Croquet Balls
by
steev
The professional game of croquet allows each player to move two separate croquet balls over the course. However, most commercially available and recreational forms of the game offers each player only one ball.
Wooden croquet balls
Wooden croquet balls roll smoothly and easily. The lighter the wood, the further it carries and therefore the more superior the ball. The modern championship ball is usually 3-5/8″ in diameter and weighs exactly 16oz. Croquet balls can be made from a variety of wood. Naturally harder wood is preferred due to the fact that it does not split easily.
The best wood to make a croquet ball is one that is both light and hard. This is easier said than done. Hard wood such as oak, ash, elm or beech is of better quality but they tend to become too heavy. Willow is a lovely light wood but it tends to split very easily and therefore the balls may need to be replaced often.
Though sycamore provides the correct combination and is the heart wood of an old tree and not the sap wood of a young tree, it may get dented especially when played by a stronger player. Chestnut wood is fairly similar to that of sycamore and is therefore suitable for making wooden croquet balls. These two kinds of wood are internationally considered as the best materials available for making wooden croquet balls However, it must be noted that plastic is the preferred material when it comes to croquet balls since it is light and it does not chip.
Vintage croquet balls
Due to the long history of the game, vintage croquet balls are considered a prize possession. They are collected by enthusiasts all over the world and sold for very high prices at antique auctions and on the Internet. Vintage croquet balls are likely to be of superior quality to modern ones and are seriously hardened to play. Often they are found to have a metal mesh on the outside to protect the wood from chipping.
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Croquet Balls
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