Volleyball Drills to Help With the Dig

As any coach knows, there are many different volleyball drills used to teach the ways to hit the ball in the game of volleyball. Many will argue that the first hit on any side is the most crucial. The two most common ways to hit a ball initially is to either block or dig the ball. In order to set up a killer spike volley, the dig, or pass is the initial hit upon the ball. That is why it is vital to ensure that you include a good set of volleyball drills that focus on digging in your repertoire. Learning how to read the ball, control where the ball is passed to, and being able to make split second decisions are important traits for diggers. Here are two drills that will work on many aspects at the same time, giving you the edge to create a superior digging force.

The first of the two digging volleyball drills will work on digging a volley. Ideally, you will want to have at least 4 people to work on this drill. You, as the coach, will stand at the corner of the net. The player who is working on the dig at the time will stand across the net, on the edge of the court on the opposite side at about the mid line. This will line it up so that you can hit the ball over the net across the net in a diagonal direction. Another player should stand close to the coach in order to feed balls to be hit over. The last player should be on the same side of the net as the digger, on the front line, in the middle of the net. This player is the target. As the balls are fed to you, you will hit them over the net for the digger to pass to the target. The target will then catch the ball and toss them to the feeder in order to keep a rapid progression going. When hitting the ball, you will want to place it at various positions so the digger has to react to a number of situations, such as a ball in front of her, to the side of her, over her head, or even a rapidly spiked ball. Volleyball drills such as this will teach your players how to read and respond to an initial hit.
Good volleyball drills can be used to teach and train multiple skills at the same time. This next drill will help work on conditioning, quick responses, and accuracy all at the same time. Have two players line up on the serving line on one end of the court. You will stand in the middle of the net on the same side of the court. When you are ready, smack the ball to simulate the sound of a solid hit, signaling the player you are ready to serve. They will then sprint from one end of the court, under the net, to the opposite serving line. When the players hit the net, you should lob the ball over the net. Once the players hit the far end court line, they will quickly turn around, assess the position of the ball, and pass it back to you before it hits the ground. This will combine the benefits of several volleyball drills into one, giving you an immense benefit in your training program.
While blocking, setting, serving, and all of the other hits are important, it is imperative to include volleyball drills that work on digging into your program. This will help your players be prepared to for that first hit to get control of the ball for your side. That first dig is important in controlling who will set the ball, controlling the speed of the ball, and positioning the ball in the proper arc to deliver it properly. Proper digging will often mean the difference between the other team scoring on a kill and your team delivering the ball back to an unprepared team.Running these volleyball drills will give you the edge to beat out most other teams in your division, setting your team up for a completely winning season.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6732781