7-11
Why this drill
The classic asymmetric game: one player defends the kitchen line, the other has to earn the way in from the baseline. It compresses the hardest sequence in pickleball — drop, advance, survive — into a scoreboard.
Setup
One player at the non-volley-zone line, one at the opposite baseline. Half court or full court by agreement — half court is more honest work, full court is more cardio.
The drill
The baseline player starts every point with a drop and then tries to work in to the kitchen line; the net player tries to keep them pinned deep. Rally scoring: the net player plays to 11, the baseline player plays to 7 — the handicap prices in how hard the baseline job is. When either number is reached, swap ends and play again. If the baseline player is winning easily, the net player is not being aggressive enough off the drop.
One thought to take on court
Advance behind your good drops and hold your ground behind your bad ones — moving in on a high ball is how you get handcuffed.