Keith Aiton Weighs In Sextuple Tactics
From the Nottingham board:
Just to show that there is more than one way to skin a cat: Croquet oppo to 3, rush peelee to 2. Take off to 1, make 1 with a rush N and set up escape ball S and E of 2. Make 2 off peelee, peel 1b ideally all the way to 2b. Rush escape ball N of 3 and croquet it to 4. Make 3 and rush N and W of peelee (assuming peelee is not close to 2b). Croquet escape ball S and E of 2b, rush peelee N and E of 4, croquet it in front of 2b. Make 4 and rush to S of 2b. Croquet pioneer to 6. Peel 2b and obtain rush to 5. Make 5 with a rush S of peelee. Croquet pioneer to 1b and obtain rush on peelee N of 6. Croquet peelee in front of 3b. Make 6 and rush to S and E of peelee. Croquet pioneer to 2b. Peel 3b with a roll to 1b. Make 1b with a rush S and E of peelee. Croquet escape ball to 4b (the only remote pioneer!) Rush peelee S and W of 2b. Croquet peelee to 4b. Make 2b with a rush to E of 4b. Croquet pioneer a couple of yards W of 4b. Make peel and obtain rush to 3b. Make 3b with a rush to N and E of 4b (you might not manage this so a roll may be required). Croquet escape ball/pivot/pioneer to penult, obtain rush on peelee to 4b pioneer. Croquet peelee in front of penult obtaining rush to 4b. Make 4b and finish with a straight double.There are probably three places where I may choose to rush to the next peeling hoop instead of croqueting to it as described above. (1) If the 1b peel has gone almost all the way to 2b (I may even attempt the 2b peel with a take off to the pioneer at 4). (2) From 2b to 3b if I don't have enough room to send the pioneer to 1b and get a rush N or if the pioneer at 6 is particularly good. I can usually get the peelee positioned adequately with a ropey rush and a thick take off. (3) If the 3b peel has gone most of the way to 4b then I will rush to 4b (or the peelee) after 1b and rush the peelee to 4b and take off to the pioneer at 2b.To anticipate someone commenting "but you're rushing all over the place", yes, but never with a need to be particularly accurate, so long as enough room is left to play a croquet stroke.
If you think this method requires accurate croquet strokes, well, DUH!I am not claiming this is a better method than the one described by Rob, just an alternative. Personally I aspire to playing like Rob and Reg, ie rushing to a standard that makes it possible to peel a hoop and the next time you roquet the peelee rush it to peeling position. It's also useful to be able to rush to a hoop from 14 to 25 yards away and make it under sufficient control to obtain a rush to wherever you want. As far as I know only Rob and Reg can do both of those consistently at the moment.By virtue of trying things out and practising a lot it is possible to gain confidence that you can complete a TP even if the first peel is done going to 3b. Once you are confident of that then the sextuple becomes a realistic target.
PS As an aside I don't think it will be long before the "supershot" opening gets refuted by people consistently hitting it and going round on a 2 ball break.
Just to show that there is more than one way to skin a cat: Croquet oppo to 3, rush peelee to 2. Take off to 1, make 1 with a rush N and set up escape ball S and E of 2. Make 2 off peelee, peel 1b ideally all the way to 2b. Rush escape ball N of 3 and croquet it to 4. Make 3 and rush N and W of peelee (assuming peelee is not close to 2b). Croquet escape ball S and E of 2b, rush peelee N and E of 4, croquet it in front of 2b. Make 4 and rush to S of 2b. Croquet pioneer to 6. Peel 2b and obtain rush to 5. Make 5 with a rush S of peelee. Croquet pioneer to 1b and obtain rush on peelee N of 6. Croquet peelee in front of 3b. Make 6 and rush to S and E of peelee. Croquet pioneer to 2b. Peel 3b with a roll to 1b. Make 1b with a rush S and E of peelee. Croquet escape ball to 4b (the only remote pioneer!) Rush peelee S and W of 2b. Croquet peelee to 4b. Make 2b with a rush to E of 4b. Croquet pioneer a couple of yards W of 4b. Make peel and obtain rush to 3b. Make 3b with a rush to N and E of 4b (you might not manage this so a roll may be required). Croquet escape ball/pivot/pioneer to penult, obtain rush on peelee to 4b pioneer. Croquet peelee in front of penult obtaining rush to 4b. Make 4b and finish with a straight double.There are probably three places where I may choose to rush to the next peeling hoop instead of croqueting to it as described above. (1) If the 1b peel has gone almost all the way to 2b (I may even attempt the 2b peel with a take off to the pioneer at 4). (2) From 2b to 3b if I don't have enough room to send the pioneer to 1b and get a rush N or if the pioneer at 6 is particularly good. I can usually get the peelee positioned adequately with a ropey rush and a thick take off. (3) If the 3b peel has gone most of the way to 4b then I will rush to 4b (or the peelee) after 1b and rush the peelee to 4b and take off to the pioneer at 2b.To anticipate someone commenting "but you're rushing all over the place", yes, but never with a need to be particularly accurate, so long as enough room is left to play a croquet stroke.
If you think this method requires accurate croquet strokes, well, DUH!I am not claiming this is a better method than the one described by Rob, just an alternative. Personally I aspire to playing like Rob and Reg, ie rushing to a standard that makes it possible to peel a hoop and the next time you roquet the peelee rush it to peeling position. It's also useful to be able to rush to a hoop from 14 to 25 yards away and make it under sufficient control to obtain a rush to wherever you want. As far as I know only Rob and Reg can do both of those consistently at the moment.By virtue of trying things out and practising a lot it is possible to gain confidence that you can complete a TP even if the first peel is done going to 3b. Once you are confident of that then the sextuple becomes a realistic target.
PS As an aside I don't think it will be long before the "supershot" opening gets refuted by people consistently hitting it and going round on a 2 ball break.
posted by firstchum at 9:31 AM
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