By W. H. Wahly, One Time Champion

Transcription

1 ROQUE MODERN CROQUET By W. H. Wahly, One Time Champion AFTER a national tournament less than half a dozen years ago, before the name of the game was changed to roque, Harpers Weekly, in commenting upon the meet, had this to say: Only a bold man would dare to be known nowadays as the croquet champion. Proficiency in that sport has come to be rated by the vulgar in the same class of accomplishment as superior skill in tatting. Young persons smile incredulously when their elders recall the time when strong men took hold of croquet and played it hard all day, and believed that they were having sport. Yet the thing did happen thirty years ago, and modern croquet is a better game than croquet was then and fitter to inspire a champion s zeal. Roque, as perhaps a few know, is a game which has been slowly evolved from the old game of croquet, still played in various forms upon the lawns of many farmhouses and even given favor in some of our towns among the ladies and children, more from the fact that it presents an opportunity for a good frolic than as a means of displaying a completely planned and thoroughly thought out exhibition of skill. In the mind of one who as a boy knew croquet arises a vision of hilly lawns, wire arches or possibly barrel hoops from a foot to fifteen inches in width, wooden balls, driven by long-handled mallets with ridiculously short heads, and a crowd of laughing, frolicking children. His picture of croquet is lifelike enough to speak, but to rogue it bears but a slight family resemblance. It was this feeling of prejudice against the old game that influenced the National Association to change the name to roque in the hope that under a new designation the modern scientific game might attain to greater respect in the world of sport. Happily for the game and those interested in its development, prejudice is due alone to the lack of knowledge of the nature and methods of play in vogue today. Wherever roque has gained a foothold it has become popular with those who enjoy a sport which affords some of the the lawn game croquet.

2 excitement of lawn tennis, and requires equal skill. The origin of croquet is somewhat obscure, but though the exact date is considerably in dispute, it is generally conceded to owe its birth to the land of duellists and royal pretenders. From France croquet found its way into Ireland some time early in the eighteenth century, still in a very crude form, and differing very radically from the game of even 1850 or 1851, which dates are relied upon by some English authorities as those marking the introduction of the game into England. There are many to-day, however, who remember seeing a primitive croquet played in England at a much earlier date, and it is not unlikely that the Irish gave the game to the English shortly after it became known to themselves; for whoever knew an Irishman to keep a good thing to himself very long. In England, croquet, as it is still called there, has made but few changes in general methods of play, and these, in accordance with English traditions, have been most conservative. They still play with long-handled mallets and wooden balls upon grass-covered grounds, though they have narrowed and changed the number and arrangement of the arches. In many parts of England, as at Wimbledon where public matches have been held since 1867, croquet is played upon turf tennis courts, which while insuring a generally level surface, do not admit of such fine and delicate play as the dirt courts employed in American roque. This difference in methods has prevented the acceptance of challenges received from the Englishmen. One of the skilful features of the American game is the carom shot, which is lacking in the English game because of there being no cushion or border upon which to make it. Using the playing ball to drive another, by a single stroke, into position is another important factor in the American game not nearly so general abroad where turf courts offer more resistance than lightly sanded prepared surfaces of clay or dirt used in this country. With international golf, tennis, cricket, and boat races, it is to be regretted we cannot institute and maintain a healthy rivalry in roque between the two great English-speaking nations of the earth; yet it is not improbable that a few rapidly Roque Modern Croquet 663 passing years will have convinced the Englishman of the superiority of the character of roque played in America. Practically taking up croquet where the English stand to-day with it, something like four or five decades ago, the idea was conceived of constructing a specially prepared court for the purpose of adding to Photo by Washington Souvenir Co. w. h. wahly, champion the accuracy of play, and grounds were built of clay without a blade of grass upon them. These courts were levelled with great care and enclosed by running a plank border about them in a general rectangular form. The arches were of necessity narrowed and their number increased to add to the difficulties of the game. Men of brain demand both in business and pleasure

3 664 Roque Modern Croquet charles g. williams. champion, that whatever engages their time and attention shall require the exercise of ingenuity and skill. It is from this class roque is constantly recruiting, and it is not to be wondered at therefore that the game has so constantly improved, that to-day it is, to quote from the London Spectator, fairly described as the most scientific of outdoor games. It is, they say, more exciting and more intellectual than golf, and involves the very maximum of pressure on the nerves and temper allowable by the regulations of civilized society. This was said by a London paper about the game as played at Wimbledon. What then would be its comment upon roque as played at Norwich, Conn., Washington or Cottage City, Mass., upon courts as level and smooth as a billiard table, with vulcanized rubber balls of a regulation diameter of 3¼ inches, which must be played through steel arches (sunk in heavy buried wooden blocks) the narrowest of which allow a leeway of but 1 / 8 of an inch. In order to make still more difficult these already difficult arches, the steel is carefully selected to secure sensitiveness to the slightest touch or the ball. Instead of long-handled mallets a shorter handled and much heavier instrument is used in roque. To the uninitiated instrument may seem hardly the proper word. None the less it is used advisedly to describe the exactness and accuracy of the nickelled steel bands securing the ivory or vulcanized rubber face on the one end of the mallet head and the soft rubber face of the other end. The handle if the modern mallet is a steel rod with a shell of wood about it for a more reliable grip and varies in length according to individual taste from 10 to 16 or even 18 inches, while the heads range in diameter from 1 7 / 8 to 2 3 / 8 inches and in length from 7 to 10 inches. The weights differ quite as much as the cost of the mallets, the former ranging from 1 1 / 2 to 2 1 / 2 pounds, while as much as $15 or $17 may be paid for a single mallet. The border or timber which marks the roque mallets.

4 Roque Modern Croquet 665 court is perhaps the greatest single feature in which the game of to-day differs from that of a quarter of a century ago, when the possibilities of carom shots were undreamed. The original use of the plank border was simply to confine the balls and consequently the play, within the regulation court space, which was 45 by 80 feet until a compara- tively few years ago when the dimensions were reduced to a plot 36 by 72 feet. The old border had corner pieces 18 inches in length which were placed so as to cut off the four rectangles of the court, but when the size of the ground was reduced the short corner pieces were replaced by ones during the day, and no play is attempted until after sunset. With the introduction of the carom shot and the rubber cushion, the favorite jump shot of some of the best players has to a great extent fallen into disuse, and the more scientific and skilful bank shot been substituted. The jump shot was effected by striking the ball smartly upon the top and slightly to the rear of the center and was used when no straight shot for a ball presented itself by reason of the intervening arch or arches. This blow caused the ball to bury itself slightly in the surface of the court, and in starting away from the mallet rise to a national roque association grounds, norwich, conn. eight feet long, which, to borrow a billiard term, are calculated to give greater opportunity for round-the-table play. With the other changes which the progressive spirit or its devotees have demanded came the heavy timber border permitting of carom or bank shots, and this development has gone on until to-day the most progressive clubs have equipped their courts with rubber cushions, similar in construction to those on billiard and pool tables. Electric lights in many places are used where play after dark is desired, and this makes the game enjoyable in climates where the midsummer sun has great power hight, sometimes sufficient to leap successfully over an arch perhaps a dozen or fourteen feet distant and strike a ball beyond. Rubber borders have added almost infinitely to the possibilities of the game, and plays are now frequently made which, considering the amount of ground over which the ball travels, surprise even a billiardist with their accuracy. Single, double and even triple caroms are frequent occurrences between expert players in the hard fought contests. The similarity of roque to billiards may be emphasized by the very significant and generally accepted

5 666 Roque Modern Croquet diagram of roque court.* (36 x 72 ft.) fact that knights of the cue are conspicuously successful upon courts admitting of carom play especially if these are equipped with rubber cushions. The cushion generally and the rubber ones more particularly have made less secure the practice of tying up, which is a similar move to wiring the opponent s next playing ball, so that when the player has advanced as far as he can upon that turn of play and is obliged to stop, his opponent s hot ball is in such a position that he is unable to shoot straight at any of the other balls. In such a situation the player of the involved ball must betake himself to the cushion and if skilful enough he may secure the balls on a carom. A few of the caroms most frequently seen are illustrated below. The one numbered 3 is made by using the soft rubber end of the mallet and giving a quick pull in just as the ball is struck, imparting to it the English or twist which brings it back at a seemingly impossible angle. With improvement of playing paraphernalia, rules, of course, have undergone changes, but through the organization in 1882 in New York city of the National Roque Association of America, the principal clubs are now playing under a uniform code, which is in striking contrast with the situation in England, where there seems to be little or no concerted action by the various clubs. Unlike the old game of croquet, but two players ordinarily participate in roque, each playing two balls. Among the many things necessary to possess in order to excel in roque is the ability to hit the balls when opportunity presents, even though the coveted ball be distant possibly sixty feet; yet the most brilliant long shot cannot expect to win roque laurels unless he is a fairly good general withal. In fact some of the most successful players of the game to-day have not won their high places by conspicuous ability in hitting at long range, but rather by superiority in planning and executing their plays well and safely, after getting possession of the balls. At Norwich, Conn., the third week in August of each year, is held the annual championship, and entries come from as far west as California and as far south as Florida to contest for first honors and to enjoy the many pleasures incident to these great roque gatherings. Roque, in its high state of development, is essentially a young man s game, as the last half dozen tourneys have emphatically demonstrated. There are, of course, notable examples of men in middle life yet to be reckoned with in any contest for first honors, but a steady nerve and a clear and correct eye command a high premium, and these qualities came most naturally, of course, from the young. *Showing some of the cushion or bank shots most frequently made, from involved positions either in or behind the wickets. 1, 1, 1. Single banks for balls at the cage or center wicket. 2. Single bank employing left-hand English for balls wired across the cage. 3. Single bank with left hand English for balls in the cage. 4. Double bank for balls at the cage. 5. Double bank for balls behind the 7th arch. 6. Triple bank for balls near the 5th arch.