Croquet mallets and balls in Hamburg
The short answer: Hamburg players can get an Invictus tournament mallet, made for their own handle length, or Invictus X championship balls, sent to Germany from Australia. On damp northern German lawns the heavier Invictus Rise is the model we would point you to first.
Croquet in Hamburg
Germany is a small croquet country; a Stuttgart newspaper wrote in 2023 that the sport is still largely unknown there. Hamburg, though, has an active club. The Hamburger Croquet Club has its lawns at Quickborn-Renzel, about 25 km north of the city and 20 km beyond the airport, with two full-size lawns that were extended in 2018. The Deutscher Krocket Bund, the national federation, uses a Hamburg address.
In June 2019 the club and the federation jointly hosted the 9th German Open Association Croquet Championship at Quickborn-Renzel, billed as the top croquet event in Germany. The game has deep roots here too: an 1888 German encyclopedia described croquet as very popular in Germany at the time.
What Hamburg's lawns and weather mean for your mallet
Hamburg's weather is maritime: cool summers, mild but grey winters, and frequent light rain carried in from the North Sea. Outdoor play is mostly a summer affair, and even then a lawn can stay soft and slow for days after a wet spell. That favours a mallet with some weight behind the stroke, so you are not forcing long shots across heavy grass. Damp is no problem for aluminium, which does not swell or crack as wood can.
Which Invictus mallet suits Hamburg players
The Invictus Rise (US$695) is our most popular mallet and the natural pick for slow grass. About 3 lb of aluminium sits in the head, and a slightly larger sweet spot helps keep it a little easier to control. We generally recommend an 11 inch head with it.
The RF Pro (US$1,295) is our flagship. World Champion Robert Fletcher worked with us on its development: brass weights and composite faces are set into a 3D printed aluminium head, close to 2 lb 12 oz in total, giving a lighter mallet that is very precise.
Your mallet is built to order around your handle length, with the head at 11 or 12 inches. It comes in Graphite Black, or in Snow White, NRA Blue, Rose Gold or Deep Purple for an additional US$119. Weight cannot be specified. Our fitting guide covers measuring, and compare mallets sets the two side by side.
Balls for Hamburg clubs
Invictus X has been approved by the World Croquet Federation for championship play. The balls weigh 450 g each, are made entirely in Australia and sell at US$635 for four. A club normally needs a first-colour set and a second-colour set per lawn, which for a two-lawn ground means four sets. Read what WCF approval means for the background.
Delivery to Hamburg
Production begins when your order comes in, and the mallet is sent from Australia; allow usually 4 to 8 weeks, as an estimate. For balls, we work out the delivered price to your German address and confirm it before you pay.
Questions Hamburg players ask
Is a 3 lb mallet too heavy? On soft grass, the weight does useful work. Players who mainly play on firm, fast lawns and want a lighter feel should look at the RF Pro.
When should I order for the German Open season? By early spring, so the build estimate leaves time to get used to the mallet before summer tournaments.
Can I be sure before I keep it? An optional satisfaction guarantee, 30 days for US$99, lets you play with it at your club first.
More European pages: Invictus mallets in Europe.
Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.