5: Practising a specific shot

One of the ways to improve your game is to practice a particular shot for half an hour. When I say a particular shot, I mean a very specific one, and one which you encounter in normal games. Thus, a shot you should practice is the three-quarter roll after making hoop 1 when you have a ball at hoop 2 but no pivot. Practice this from the likely position in front of hoop 1, and work on it until you can do it with confidence. Note how you are holding the mallet, how long the swing is, how angled the mallet head is. Pick a spot that you aim at with the swing. When you can do this shot consistently, you will develop a lot of confidence when you next meet it in a game – and confidence is one of the keys to reliable shots.
You will need to return to practising the shot from time to time to refresh your memory on exactly how you best play it.

3: Around the hoop

If your ball only just gets through the hoop, making a roquet can be difficult.
If you use an upright mallet, (1), it may twist as it strikes your ball because it hits the ball off centre. Adjust the Line of Swing to allow for that.
Playing the stroke with the mallet handle horizontal, (2) & (3), can be useful as you can use the leg of the hoop as a guide. Don't let yor arm rest on the ground or your knee as that would be a foul shot. And always get the referee to watch a hampered stroke.
As in all aspects of croquet, it only takes practice!

2: Getting balls to touch

Try rotating the strikers ball so that its top moves away from the roqueted ball, with the balls in contact. When you stop rotating it will fall back into contact