Odd one out

Setup

• All three at the kitchen line: two on one side, one alone on the other.
• The single player only covers half the court: agree which half before you start (straight across from one of the pair, or cross-court).
• The pair have the whole width of their side to cover.

How it works

1. Any player starts the rally with a dink.
2. The pair may only hit into the single player’s half. A ball into the other half is a point lost.
3. The single player can hit anywhere on the pair’s side, and should: the gap between them is the target.
4. Everything else is a normal dink rally: speed-ups and lobs allowed, kitchen rules apply.

Score

Everyone keeps their own score. The pair both score when they win a rally; the single player scores when they win one. Every 5 rallies, rotate: the single player joins the pair and someone else goes alone. First to 11 wins.

Turn the dial

Easier for the single player: shrink their half to the kitchen only: the pair may only dink.

Harder for the pair: they may only hit to the single player’s backhand side of their half, so they have to place every ball, not just keep it in.