CROQUET:  Planning Ahead

QUESTION

You're playing Red/Yellow and your opponent broke down at #2.

As it is also for #2, you played Yellow and have just roqueted Red.  See attached diagram <Question.gif>

On your croquet shot do you plan where to take off to, or do you just say to yourself, "As long as I get near Blue and Black I'm bound to make the hoop."?

Where should you be aiming for - X1, X2 or X3?



ANSWER

You should be planning how you can turn a windfall (2 receivers at #2) into a break.  The key is to send one of the receivers to #3 as a pioneer before making #2 with the other receiver.

The ball nearer the hoop is the better receiver, so you should send Black to #3 as a pioneer.

The easiest way is to rush Black to the west boundary and then croquet it to #3 while going to receiver (Blue) at #2.  See attached diagram <Answer.gif>; be sure to place the cursor over the diagram to see the croquet shot.

This simple bit of planning ahead should turn a promising situation into a certain break.