Mary’s Practice Refining Her Technique Improved Her Results
If you've been stuck at a handicap for a while, this is what getting past it looks like. Every competitive player hits a ceiling. In 2022, Mary McMahon hit hers.
Stuck at Your Handicap?
If you've been stuck at a handicap for a while, this is what getting past it looks like.
Every competitive player hits a ceiling. In 2022, Mary McMahon hit hers.
She'd reached a handicap of three. Good, but stuck.
"I just couldn't get any further. It just wasn't happening. I was practicing, but you get to that point of diminished results. What you are putting in, you are not getting dramatic results."
Most players accept it. Mary didn't.
Getting Worse Before Getting Better
For six to eight months, her handicap got worse. She kept at it, working with coaches like Terry Erickson, drilling every day. The old grip had to go completely before the new one could take over.
"It took me about six, seven, eight months for me to persevere with that, because it was until it became muscle memory. If you ask me now how did you used to hold the mallet? I can't remember."
Then the new grip clicked.
What Reg Bamford’s 16 Perfect Peg Shots Can Teach You About Croquet
Reg Bamford is widely considered the greatest croquet player of all time. You can see why in the routine involved in every shot he plays.
You Will Win In Croquet if You Master These 3 Shots
Croquet has a lot of shots. Mary McMahon says you only need to worry about three. "I practice three main shots," she says. "A lag, a roquet, and a hoop. They're your three basic shots, and they're the three you should be practicing."
The 5 Steps to a Perfect Croquet Shot
Whether you're a new player building habits or an experienced player who's gotten sloppy, this routine works at every level.