AN INTERVIEW WITH STUART SMITH CONTINUED
second was during the European Teams Championship when at 1‐1 in games and at hoop 13 in the third. My opponent was first up and put a ball dead in front around 3 yards back. I could not see Daniel’s ball with either of mine. My first ball had to try and get in front and did, but my second was at a slight angle with the upright just obscuring his ball. I needed to hamper the shot and, winning 'shot of the tournament' in the process, dropped my ball directly behind Daniel’s dead weight from 25 yards ‐ stopping him clearing mine or getting a legal shot on his ball in the right My first mallet, as mentioned, was an old wooden club mallet weighing 3lb with a 9" head, I loved it. I entered B‐ Level tournaments and club tournaments with it with some success for 18 months before I decided that I should probably get my own. At first, I lusted after a rare mallet, my 'Holy Grail' the Dawson Millenium Mallet. I had seen this online looking like golden Meccano, but no success, I couldn't acquire one anywhere. So, I decided to take inspiration from my club mallet and that it should be 3lb, wooden but with a 11" head. I researched it for weeks. I eventually found one that fitted the bill from the Norwich Croquet direction. MALLETS Company in Connecticut USA, who needed heavy persuasion to send the mallet to the UK. Eventually, they finally succumbed to my charm! I played with the Norwich mallet for a couple of years perfectly happy and winning trophies with it until I accidently took a chunk out of the side and told myself that it would affect its swing aerodynamics so needed to change. So, I took up using the Pidcock Mallet my wife had decided she didn't want ‐ it is slightly lighter at 2lb 12oz with brass faces. This is now my ‘go to’ mallet unless I am playing Euan Burridge when I am always tempted to bring out my PFC Hoop Maker as it gives him convulsions. THERE ARE MANY STYLES, BUT WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO STALKING AND A SMOOTH SWING?
Stuart M Smith playing in the 2024 England v Spain Test Match Photo by Duncan Catterall
WHAT IS YOUR BEST SUGGESTION FOR DEVELOPMENT IN EITHER CODE? Practice, practice, practice and have fun with it. Play both codes to add variation, understand what you really want to achieve in the game. Ultimately it should all be fun. WHO DO YOU ENJOY PLAYING AGAINST AND WHY? I enjoy playing players of all standards as it is good to see who is emerging in the game. Playing the Open Series helps keep me in touch with who is out there, and I love watching these players develop. We all love playing the big names in the game as it tests us on how far we have come and ultimately aids our own development. Playing the Egyptians opens your eyes to a style and level you very rarely come across in any other opponent. I do, however, single out Lionel Tibble as he was the big superstar player I was in awe of back when I started in Northampton. I still feel like saying 'look what I can do, Sir!'.
I am a player who will stalk the ball before playing the ball on the swing. I try to create a repeatable swing so when I approach the ball I stand and swing the head of my mallet in short swings making sure I am over the centre of the ball before extending the swing to make sure I am lined up with the target before firing. I also try to create a rhythm to help slow the swing down. WHAT IS YOUR TOP TIP FOR A GOOD TOURNAMENT PERFORMANCE? Go into the tournament with realistic expectations. If you are ranked 8th in the tournament understand that 7th would be a good result. Do not get frustrated, you don’t have to improve to world beater overnight. WHAT IS THE ONE OTHER PIECE OF KIT YOU'RE NEVER WITHOUT? I do play with music to help with concentration so I couldn't be without my headphones and Mozart's Piano Sonata No.16 in C Major.
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