mallet

n. wooden hammer with a short handle and a long head; long-handled wooden hammer used to strike a ball in Croquet or Polo

Tools Tool mallets are hammers with heads made of softer materials than the steel normally used in hammerheads, so as to avoid damaging a delicate surface. Some common types of mallets are:Rubber mallets are used when a softer blow is called for than that delivered by a metal hammer. They are typically used to form sheet metal, since they don't leave marks, as well as for forcing tight-fitting parts together, for shifting plasterboard into place, in upholstery, and a variety of other general purposes, including some toys. It is the most commonly used mallet.Wooden mallet, usually used in carpentry to knock wooden pieces together, or to drive dowels or chisels. A wooden mallet will not deform the striking end of a metal tool, as most metal hammers would, but it also reduces the force available to drive the cutting edge of a chisel.Copper and leaden mallets are typically used on machinery to apply force to parts with a reduced risk of damaging them and to avoid sparks. As copper is softer than steel, the mallet is deformed rather than any steel object it is hitting. Meat mallets  tenderise or flatten meat. Made from wood or metal, they are typically two-sided, one flat with slight bumps, and the other with more pronounced protrusions. Meat mallets can be made from wood, plastic, or steel, but their use has lessened with the invention of cube steak machines and other electric tenderisers.[1][2]. Meat mallets can also be used to crush ice. This is done by wrapping the ice in a fabric (usually a tea towel) and crushing the ice with the mallet until the desired size of the ice is achieved.
See more at Wikipedia.org...

Mallet, n a hammering instrument. mallet, hard, n a small hammer with a leather-, rubber-, fiber-, or metal-faced head; used to supply force or to [more]Mallet - Community and Resources

Noun
1. a sports implement with a long handle and a head like a hammer; used in sports (polo or croquet) to hit a ball
(hypernym) sports implement
(hyponym) croquet mallet
2. a light drumstick with a rounded head that is used to strike percussion instruments
(hypernym) drumstick
3. a tool resembling a hammer but with a large head (usually wooden); used to drive wedges or ram down paving stones or for crushing or beating or flattening or smoothing
(synonym) beetle
(hypernym) hammer
(hyponym) carpenter's mallet

(n.)
A small maul with a short handle, -- used esp. for driving a tool, as a chisel or the like; also, a light beetle with a long handle, -- used in playing croquet.