In SA we have used lift and contact and large lawns for all players for many years now.

It has both advantages and disadvantages.  The main reason for introducing it was that more than half of all our players were spending their whole croquet life in the lower divisions, and although they were lacking in coordination skills, many were quite intelligent (for Australians) and claimed they were quite capable of understanding the laws and tactics related to lift and contact.  In other words, I suppose they felt they were being treated as "second-class citizens" being relegated to half-lawns and required to play under different rules.

As a coach, I believe it is good policy, as in many other sports (tennis, squash, golf, etc.) to start a player hitting the full length of the full-size lawn from the first time they have a mallet in their hands.  In tennis they get youngsters to just belt the ball into the back-stop as hard as they can; never mind where it goes.  Don't worry about direction; just get them to swing  right back, right through, and try to hit the ball in the middle.  Far too many croquet players start by poking, prodding and jabbing which is encouraged by small lawns.  They also learn to roll from one hoop to the next, without setting out a break properly.

On the other hand, the long shots needed on a full-size lawn can lead to knee-bending, side-style splits and rolls, or over-use of wrists, all of which are used in an effort to obtain more power, and are also undesirable.

Perhaps the only constructive thing I can say is that I am sure we would have no chance at all of persuading them to go back to half-lawns and play with lift or contact.

The answer to teaching players to set up good leaves and play good breaks is not to use smaller lawns, but to play a lot more handicap games; especially with "full bisques" to a base of (say) 5 or 6.  But then, of course, they will complain about having to spend half the time sitting down and watching the opponent go around using all his bisques.

I doubt that you can win this one, whichever way you go.

JR.