Product Review: Croquet Store Brighton Mallet

Price: $110 (with aluminum shaft and grip)
Website: www.croquetstore.com (oakley woods)
Phone: 866-364-8895
Other: Rounded or square heads available (tested with round head)

For the casual player this is a great mallet that will get you through the social backyard game or allow you to play in some competitive tournaments. The Croquet Store/Oakley Woods taper-lock system gives the mallet a solid, one-piece feel. For backyard play (longer grass) the rounded head is nice because it is less likely to catch on un-even terrain. Of course, if you are a backyard player, $110 may seem a little excessive. You could easily go with an ash shaft and skip the grip to bring the price down to an affordable $65. The Croquet Store is based in Canada, so the shipping is a little more expensive, but the website ordering is fairly straight-forward. I generally order from this vendor once a year and they are good about shipping out in a timely fashion.

Another note for the casual player. If you are still using the “golf swing” for croquet , there are two things you should know. One, stop it. Two, the Brighton may be too heavy for you to stay consistent on your “Tiger Woods” swing. If you are dedicated to the golf swing, you should probably look into the Extreme Mallet (to be reviewed next week).

Recommendation: If you are playing in more than event per season, this is a great first “real” mallet.