Croquet mallets and balls in Middlesbrough

The short answer: Teesside players can order an Invictus mallet cut to their handle length, or sets of Invictus X balls, online with delivery to Middlesbrough and the towns around it. With an April to October season on cool north-east grass, the Invictus Rise is the mallet we would recommend first.

Croquet in Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough Croquet Club was formed in 1988 and has around 35 members. It first played at Ormesby Hall, a National Trust property, then at Prissick Sports Park from 1998 to 2006, and today has four croquet lawns in Albert Park, beside the pavilion next to the tennis courts. Association croquet is played on Tuesday mornings and golf croquet on Wednesday mornings, with coaching on Fridays when arranged, and members can play whenever the park is open. The season runs from April to October. Newcomers can come to an occasional free Saturday taster or simply turn up on a club day; all equipment is provided and flat shoes are the only requirement, and non-members have been able to book a course of six lessons for £12. In winter the club keeps going socially, including indoor carpet croquet at Norton. It belongs to the Croquet North Federation.

What Middlesbrough's lawns and weather mean for your mallet

Teesside lies between the North York Moors and the North Sea, and its seasons are cool, breezy and often damp at either end. Park lawns stay green but rarely firm up for long, so most games are played on medium to slow grass. A mallet with enough mass to carry the ball without a forced swing, and a sweet spot that forgives stiff fingers in April, makes sense here.

Which Invictus mallet suits Middlesbrough players

Invictus Rise, £525. Our most popular. It has an aluminium head close to 3 lb and a slightly larger sweet spot, which make it a little easier to control. The 11 inch head is our usual recommendation.

RF Pro, £975. The flagship, born of our collaboration with World Champion Robert Fletcher. Expect a 3D printed aluminium head with brass weights and composite faces, about 2 lb 12 oz: lighter, and very precise.

Order either and we build it to your handle length with an 11 or 12 inch head. Graphite Black is free; NRA Blue, Rose Gold, Deep Purple or Snow White costs £89. Weights are fixed. Start with mallet fitting and compare mallets.

Balls for Middlesbrough clubs

Each Invictus X ball is 450 g, made entirely in Australia and approved by the World Croquet Federation for championship play; sets are £479. On four lawns, the guide is four first-colour sets and four second-colour sets. See how many ball sets a club needs.

Delivery to Middlesbrough

Your mallet is made once you order and sent to the UK; from ordering to delivery on Teesside is usually 4 to 8 weeks, an estimate. For ball sets you agree the delivered price before payment.

Questions Middlesbrough players ask

I have done the six-lesson course. Rise or RF Pro? The Rise; its forgiveness helps a new stroke bed in.

Can I play club mornings with it before deciding? Yes: the optional 30-day satisfaction guarantee is £75.

Do cold, damp mornings affect the head? No. Dry the faces afterwards; see product care.

Elsewhere in England: croquet in England.

Designed in Queensland, made in Australia.