Croquet mallets and balls in Bath

The short answer: Bath players can order Invictus mallets and Invictus X balls from our website for delivery to the city. On the Recreation Ground's well-drained lawns, which can run quick in a dry summer, the Invictus Rise is our usual first suggestion, with the RF Pro for players who want a lighter, more exact stroke.

Croquet in Bath

Bath once had as many as seven croquet clubs. Its first national tournament was held in September 1896 on eight lawns at the Lansdown Cricket Ground, and from 1898 the annual Bath tournament moved to the Recreation Ground, where open events ran every year until 1938. The old Bath and County club closed in 1947; Bath Croquet Club was re-formed in 1976 and in May 2026 sixty-five past and present members gathered to mark its fiftieth year on the Rec. Its four lawns, terraced in the mid-1990s after twenty years on a southward slope, are open daily, and a former bowls pavilion became the clubhouse in 2018. Playing membership has settled at around 80 to 90, about a quarter of them mainly Association players, and the club runs an Under 18s Academy.

What Bath's lawns and weather mean for your mallet

The club's show lawn was first built for bowls on a clinker base: flat and very free-draining, but quick to suffer in drought. Summers in the Avon valley can therefore leave the surface firm and fast. The main season runs from the end of March to the end of October, yet some lawns now stay open all winter and at least half the members play year-round, so soft, slow winter grass is part of the picture too.

Which Invictus mallet suits Bath players

Invictus Rise, £525. Our most popular mallet. Its aluminium head is about 3 lb, which helps on slow winter lawns, and its sweet spot is slightly larger than usual, so it is a little easier to control. We tend to suggest the 11 inch head.

RF Pro, £975. The flagship, which we developed with World Champion Robert Fletcher. A 3D printed aluminium head is weighted with brass and faced with composite, at around 2 lb 12 oz; lighter and very precise on a fast summer lawn.

We build either one to order to your handle length, with an 11 or 12 inch head. Graphite Black comes as standard, and Deep Purple, Rose Gold, Snow White or NRA Blue cost £89 more. Read the fitting guide and compare mallets before choosing.

Balls for Bath clubs

Invictus X balls are approved by the World Croquet Federation for championship play, weigh 450 g and are made entirely in Australia. A set is £479. For four lawns, the usual guide is eight sets: first colours and second colours on every lawn. Our page on croquet ball colours explains the two groups.

Delivery to Bath

Mallets are made after you order and sent to the UK; expect delivery in Bath around 4 to 8 weeks from order, which is our estimate. If you order a ball set, we confirm the delivered price before you pay.

Questions Bath players ask

Is a 3 lb head right for a junior in the Academy? Weight is fixed by the model, but the handle is cut to the player's length; the lighter RF Pro is the alternative.

Can I try it in club games first? Yes: the free satisfaction guarantee covers 30 days of real games on the Rec.

Mostly golf croquet: which mallet? Either. The Rise forgives off-centre hits; the RF Pro rewards a precise, repeatable stroke on quick lawns.

More English places: croquet mallets across England.

Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.