Design your own mallet part 1

These notes will guide you in filling in the specification form

Stiffness options

The mallets are made with an aluminium shaft connected to the head with a short piece of tapered nylon. This gives flexibility and reduces shock and the shaft is easily removed. Alternatively the connecting piece can be made of aluminium, which gives less flexibility but feels more positive and may help some people with stop shots. It doesn't absorb as much shock on roll shots and you seem to have to hit harder to achieve the same distances. If you want an aluminium connector put "not nylon" in the 'Special Considerations' line.

Weight

For accurate hitting in, choose a weight like 2lb 15oz (1334gm), because this is equivalent to 3lb (1362 gm) in a normal wooden handled mallet and this suits most people. For more weight to help with long croquet shots then go up to 3lbs. If you want stop shots with a ratio of more than 6:1 then you have to go for say 2lb 12oz (1250gm), or even 2lb 10oz (1192gm). This will give you better stop shots, but will require you to put in more effort on long roquets and croquets, especially roll shots, with a risk of an imbalance in your hands and consequent missing. Light heads also makes it easier for the head to twist if you hit slightly off centre. There is a compromise needed between accuracy and stop shot ability. My normal weight for the head alone is 1022gms (2lb 4oz), but I have recently made myself a 3lb 4oz mallet (all up) and it has improved my accuracy and my stop shots are just adequate.

Height and head length

Estimate your desired height by holding a mallet that is too long, at the height you feel you want for a comfortable swing. Your ideal height depends not only on how tall you are, but on your grip style—longer for Solomon grip and shorter for Irish. Most of the best players have 12" heads, because the lead weights behind the faces help resist any twisting if you hit off centre and the further they are from the handle the harder it is to twist. For getting under the ball in a stop shot a 9" would be better, but then that is too easy to twist. For some people a 12” head makes them dig in when hitting and I was one of them, so I now offer the option of 12” heads with the bottom shaped like a curve, so that the bottom of the Tufnol faces is about 8mm above the ground. This reduces digging in and it also makes it easier to do a stop shot with the front face tilted upwards and so reduce roll on the rear ball. However, the curved bottom does slightly reduce the stability of the head, so don't have it unless it's essential. I've managed to cure myself of the digging in.

Head Width 

There are advantages in having a head about 2" (51 to 53 mm) wide when you are hampered in the hoop. It also means that there is more lead needed at the ends, because there's less wood weight. If you feel there is a risk of miss-hitting then choose a wider head (say 55 to 57mm) or I can make any width up to 62 mm (2 7/16") but then your choice of wood is more limited—ask what I have. Expert players can go down to as little as 47mm width.