Beach Volleyball Training - Why Change Sides Mid-Game?

This article is to fill you in on some beach volleyball tips, mainly why players switch sides mid-game. Have you ever watched beach volleyball on t.v. and wonder why the teams were switching sides in the middle of the game?

Beach volleyball is a completely different game than indoor 6 on 6 volleyball. One obvious difference is the fact that it is played outside in the elements. So you have many other factors to consider such as wind and sun. These are the 2 main reasons that teams switch sides on multiple of 7 in the middle of games. One side will always have an advantage over the other side because the sun will be in one teams eyes or the wind will be in favor of one side more than the other. So to eliminate these advantages or disadvantages teams switch sides when the sum of both teams points add up to 7 or multiples of seven.
For example, when the score is 8 to 6 the teams will switch sides. Or if the score is 14 to 14 or even 14 to 0 they will switch sides to keep everything fair.
That's not the only difference from indoor to outdoor volleyball, the whole game is different as far as rules go. For example in beach volleyball you can't open hand tip, set the serve, side set over the net or have sloppy looking sets. Everything must be clean and the set should not spin. That is why they allow you to hold the ball a little longer in sand volleyball because they want it to come out clean.

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Volleyball Prospects - How to Get an Advantage Over Your Competition and Play in College

If you consider yourself to be among the thousands of volleyball prospects from around the country trying to make it to the college level, you need to read this entire article. The competition for volleyball scholarships is fierce, and to play the game you love at the college level, you need to give yourself an advantage.

There are many great volleyball players each year who fly under the radar of coaches. In other words, many volleyball prospects who have the talent, skills and size to play in college are simply never known to volleyball coaches. Here are some of the reasons that happens:
1. Playing at a small school
2. Playing on a bad team
3. Playing in an areas not known for volleyball
4. Having a high school coach who doesn't promote the prospect at all
In a perfect world, all volleyball prospects would be recruited by college coaches if they have the ability to play at the next level. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and some very good players get overlooked each and every year.
If this is happening to you, there is only one way to fix the problem and make sure you get the attention of coaches. If you are one of the thousands of volleyball prospects hoping to make it to the college level, make a commitment right now to do the following:
1. Develop an athletic resume
2. Decide what level of college volleyball is right for you
3. Develop a list of schools to contact
4. Mail your athletic resume to college coaches
5. Stay in contact with these coaches throughout your high school career
Volleyball prospects from around the country are competing for spots on college rosters. Give yourself a big advantage by marketing and promoting yourself to volleyball coaches!

Gary Hawkins is a well known recruiting and athletic scholarship expert and the author of a popular 17-page free report titled:

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Beginning Volleyball Drills

Volleyball coaches often face certain hurdles that are common to all coaches. How do you take a bunch of players who have never played before and teach them the skills necessary to become an effective force? How do you create volleyball drills to erase the bad habits learned from elsewhere and have your players perform the way you expect them to? The good news is that both of these questions can be answered in the same way. You create good beginner volleyball drills. This is not to imply that you have only beginning players on the team, this is more in the realm of the beginning technical drills in the new season. Using these drills will correct bad habits or teach new players just the same.

One of the first beginning volleyball drills you may want to work on will be for passing. A good way to get the concept down is to have the team divided into pairs of players. The first player tosses an easy ball to the second, who then correctly passes the ball back to the first. You will want to set up a set number of correct passes, then the players change out their rolls. This ensures a good rotation, and allows both players in each pair to learn the correct method. Once the basic passing drill is mastered, add some difficulty by having the players pass it back and forth to each other. You can even have contests to see which pair can keep the ball going with correct passes the longest. These volleyball drills will condition the player on the correct form to follow when passing a ball that is coming in a steady and known trajectory.
Volleyball drills that work on setting the ball are crucial to successful game play. Setting is important for players to correctly perform as they can work as a pass and also set up critical kill shots. In order to drill on the correct form required for a good set, have pairs of players stand on opposite sides of the net. The players will then volley the ball back and forth, using only sets. This will reinforce the mechanics of the set, so the performance will become an automatic thing during play. Once the players are proficient with this, you can add a challenge by having the players move around to the court into different zones while continuing to set the ball. Adding these types of variations in your volleyball drills will help ready your players for real game situations.
Serving volleyball drills can be some of the most difficult drills to implement successfully. A good beginner drill is to have pairs of players stand on each side of the net. They will then take turns serving to each other. To start out, they will be standing on the baseline, close to the net. As they get the form and distance down, they will move backwards a small amount, until they can routinely serve from behind the court. Once they show that they have the skills needed to serve, you will have the "receiving" partner move around the court, so the server must hit different areas with their serve. This is one of those volleyball drills that will teach good form as well as precision.
These beginner volleyball drills can be used to help new players and returning players alike. They are simple to run yet have key basic components that can be built on for more difficult plays. They are part of the basic building blocks that are necessary for any player to have in their arsenal. Never underestimate the effectiveness of a good set of beginning volleyball drills.

A Simple Drill to Improve Volleyball Hitting Accuracy

If executed correctly a volleyball attack is one of the most amazing skills in professional sports. Unfortunately for many of us, the volleyball attack is also a skill that can seem very complicated to learn. But nothing is impossible! No matter what your height, with some perseverance and a mastery of the basic skills your kill percentage will go through the roof in no time.

For starters I recommend this drill. It doesn't require anything but a volleyball net and a tennis ball so it can be done nearly anywhere. If you have a partner who can catch the tennis ball it will save you some time and keep you from running all around the gym, but if not just think of it as your cardio for the day.
Players who have mastered their basic approach footwork and are ready to move on to achieving a quick arm swing and wrist snap will benefit the most from this drill. It helps you learn to really put the ball down into the court (instead of making spectators duck with fear).
To begin the drill put a tennis ball in your attacking hand, and move to the starting spot for whatever type of attack you need to practice. So if you're an outside (left-side) hitter, you'd start a step or two to the left of the court boundary and a step or two behind the 10-foot (3-meter).
Execute your approach using whatever type of footwork you're most comfortable with, plant your feet and jump as high as you can. When you're at the point of the attack when you would normally be hitting the volleyball, throw the tennis ball instead. Really focus on your arm swing and watch where the ball is landing in the court. And don't stop your arm swing once the tennis ball has been thrown; you want to simulate your attack motion, so keep the follow through in place. I like to think about "quarters in my hand": if there was somebody standing behind me while I did my approach my wrist should have snapped and my arm should have swung all the way back around by the time I land so that the person could put some quarters into my hand.
This technique helps you focus on a quick follow through with your swing and and snapping your wrist down through the ball.
Practice throwing the tennis ball across the court, down the line, on a sharp angle -- anywhere you want to hit with your attack. Once you're comfortable throwing the tennis ball on your own it's helpful to add a blocker or other obstacle so that you're forced to throw around someone's hand just like in a game.

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High Intensity Plyometric Jumping Volleyball Drills

You have learned that you need to start jumping volleyball drills with low intensity plyometric exercises. This is to help strengthen the muscles and ligaments required for more intense training. Think about blowing up a balloon. Usually, if the balloon is a small, tight balloon, you stretch it out a bit, pulling on it to stretch the elastic. Then it becomes much easier to blow up the balloon, expanding it to larger proportions. The same holds true with plyomtric volleyball drills. You want to stretch the muscles in a working group before you expand them to their full usage.

One of the great volleyball drills to include with your intense workout is to revisit the vertical squatting jump. It starts in a squatting position, just like the double leg vertical jump. However with this variation, you will lift one leg off of the ground, holding it at a 90 degree angle so that all of your weight is on one leg, maintaining that squatting position. You then swing your arms back, counter moving your leg to prepare for the jump. Explosively jump straight up, throwing your arms above your head, reaching as highly as you can. The leg that you are holding up should remain in the same 90 degree angle throughout the entire jump. As you come down on your extended leg, you will squat back down, with your full weight still on the same leg. Quickly repeat the exercise several times on the same leg. This will help build a much stronger leg, which is vital to improving your jump. After repeating the vertical jumping volleyball drills on one leg, switch legs and do the same number on the opposite leg.
Some of the most intense volleyball drills to work on plyometric leg muscles is the depth jump. The depth jump should be performed from a height of about 12 inches. When the jumps can be performed perfectly, you can start adding 3 inches of height to the initial platform. Be careful when deciding to implement these volleyball drills on your team, though. Depth jumps, both normal and squatting, are extremely intense plyometric exercises. Because of this, ensure that your team is ready for them.
Exercises that include depth jumps generally include the standard depth jump and the squatting depth jump. Both of these volleyball drills begin the same way. Have your players start by standing comfortably on the edge of the platform. They will step out into the air, as if they were going to walk straight off the platform. The players should not jump down, nor step down, as this will actually change the height of the initial jump, which can make advancing to greater heights that much harder. In the standard depth jump, the players will land on the ground after their step, bending their knees slightly. Immediately have them jump straight back into the air. The squatting version works the exact same way, except that when they initially land on the ground after their step, they will squat down, swinging their arms back. Have them, without hesitation, explode upward, swinging their arms forward and upward, reaching straight up as highly as possible. Then have them land in a standard upright position. Restart from the top of the platform as you continue these volleyball drills, repeating several times during a session.
Plyomtric volleyball drills that help improve the jumping capabilities of your players can be difficult to come up with, and sometimes even more difficult to implement. The purpose behind them is to strengthen the entire set of muscles in the leg, without focusing entirely on a single muscle. As you work on these volleyball drills, you will find that your team's overall jumping ability and height will increase, allowing them to jump higher than their opponents. In volleyball, as in any jousting match, the higher position will almost always win when all other factors are equal. At the very base of these drills is the maxim that the higher your players can jump, the more successful your team will be.

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Top 3 Things To Help You Get Recruited: Volleyball

Many high school athletes dream of one day playing college volleyball, stepping onto the court of a university gym to showcase their skills. The bad news is that there are more people who would like to play college volleyball than there are spots available. The good news is that those spots have to go to someone, and there is no reason one can't go to you.

The process of playing college volleyball is something you can't just dive into, no matter how good you are at digging. While some colleges do allow walk ons, your best bet at playing college ball begins with the college volleyball recruiting process.
This process can seem arduous to some; after all, you need to start thinking about college volleyball recruiting during your early high school years. But, in actuality, it is easier than it looks. In fact, there are three vital steps that can help you get noticed and potentially get signed.
Play Club Volleyball: You may play for you high school team, you may even star on you high school team. But, this doesn't mean it should be the only team you play for. By playing club volleyball, not only do you continue to practice and refine your sport, but you also expose yourself to more people at more games and tournaments. These people may include coaches, scouts, and officials who all have a hand in the college volleyball recruiting process. Remember, you never know who is watching, and taking names.
Be a Good Student: Keeping your grades up is essential, even if you already have recruiters knocking on your door. Many schools, particularly the ones that are harder to get into, have academic qualifications, even if you are a star athlete. Letting your GPA slide can leave you out of luck. Keep your grades high to keep your chances of playing college ball high as well.
Make a Good Volleyball Recruiting Skills Video: As your high school career comes to a close, you will need to start marketing yourself to college coaches. One of the vital ways of doing this is through a volleyball recruiting skills video. This video is a DVD you will mail to coaches and recruiters at the colleges you are interested in. The volleyball recruiting skills video should be professional and to the point without any cutesy or extraneous stuff. It should include things like film tape, stats, and rewards received. In a nutshell, this video should be "the greatest hits" of your volleyball career, both literally and figuratively.

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Breaking Up the Setting Volleyball Skill - Setting is Simple Part 2

In this article I'll be breaking up the volleyball setting skill, by each body part. By learning what movements go with what particular body parts, I'll teach you how to be a better volleyball setter. On your own, or with the help of a parent or partner you'll be able to check to see whether you are performing this volleyball skill correctly.

This way, when practicing on your own without a coach, you can correct or reduce your own unforced errors! This is Part 2 of my Setting is Simple Series.
Upper Body and Lower Body Positioning
In order to set the ball correctly, how do you know if you have the right body position? Ideally you want your whole body to be lined up in a straight line underneath the ball every time you get ready to set it.
You should not be leaning to the ball but squatting underneath it just like you do when you sit in a chair. Your body is erect and perpendicular while your legs are doing the work. Your forehead and your feet will be your guide as to positioning your whole body underneath the ball.
Moving To The Ball Quickly
When the ball has reached its highest height it can only come down. Once you determine a) where the ball will come down and b) the speed of how fast the ball will come down- then you know that's where you, your forehead and your quick moving feet need to be, directly underneath its path.
Then, it's a matter of moving your legs quickly enough to get your forehead, followed by your body underneath the ball in order to get in the correct squatted setting position.
One more thing to remember before contacting the ball. Once you've determined where you need to be in order to set - you need to square your shoulders and face the target you are going to set to - before you contact the ball. This setting tip is especially important for beginners and high school players. First develop into a setter who has greatly improved their technique then you can work on disguising your set.
So, if I'm in the front row setting and the ball I want to set is coming from my back court and I know that I need to set my outside hitter who is in the front row with me I first
1. identify where the ball is going to come down
2. then quickly move my feet to get underneath the ball and beat the ball to that location
3. then I face exactly where I want to set so that all my force and energy is in a straight line and
concentrated on getting the ball to my target BEFORE
4. I set the volleyball. You shouldn't be twisting or setting sideways while contacting the ball. Be sure you are facing your target before contacting the ball!)
Contacting The Volleyball
Once the ball is within reach of your hands, you will lower your body into the squatted position by bending your knees down to almost a 45 degree angle. Remember how you sit in a chair? This means you feel like you are about to sit down in a chair. Don't forget that your right foot should be about a couple of inches in front of your left foot if you're right handed and vice versa if you are left handed.
Once the ball is in your "triangle" -the triangle is the shape you form with your hands in order to make contact with the ball--you come out of your squat by straightening your legs, meeting the ball and directing the ball straight back up into the air in the direction you are facing.
Since you have already squared up and faced your intended target your arms and shoulders should follow through straight up (not out, but up!) staying in line with your body.
When you've finished setting the ball, do a self-check and STOP and hold your position to make sure that your arms are fully extended above your forehead and your hands are only 1-2 inches apart from each other still in the shape of a loose triangle. Your palms are still facing upwards toward the sky with no breaking or flexing of your wrists! Your fingers should still finish in the shape of a "broken" triangle. This is your finishing position for every volleyball set you make. Check your finishing position if your sets aren't getting where you want them to go.
Tips on How To Check Your Own Volleyball Setting Technique
If your arms are fully extended but finish in front of your nose your sets will be too low for your hitter to hit.
If you finish setting the ball and your arms finish on top of your head or behind your forehead your sets will not get to your outside hitter and will likely finish right where you are standing which makes it difficult for anyone else to hit or pass the ball.
Where is your body facing? If you aren't facing your target, then the ball will not get to the target.
Where are your arms once you've finished setting the ball?
Is your butt sticking out? When you set the ball using your legs this produces the force you need to get the ball long distances. If you set the ball with your butt sticking out this usually means you are setting with just the power of your arms which means you won't set the ball as far as you could if you were using the power of your legs.
This is why its important to use your forehead as your guide for correct body position. Once your forehead is underneath the ball, then you use that as a guide for where your whole body needs to be lined up as well. By following these tips, you will be able to tell by yourself whether you are setting the ball correctly.

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