Volleyball Drills: A Step-by-Step Guide to Improve Your Skills

Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced player aiming to refine your craft, volleyball drills are an essential part of improving your skills. Drills help you develop the technique, coordination, endurance, and teamwork needed to succeed on the court. In this guide, we’ll walk you through a variety of volleyball drills, organized by skill type, to target all areas of your game.

Warm-Up Drills

Before jumping into more intense training, warming up is critical to avoid injury and prepare your body for peak performance.

1. Dynamic Stretching

Purpose: Loosen muscles and improve flexibility for volleyball-specific movements.

Steps:

Arm Circles: Swing your arms in small and large circular motions for 30 seconds in each direction.

Lunges with Rotation: Step forward into a lunge and rotate your torso toward your forward leg. Alternate legs for 10 reps.

High Knees: Jog in place, lifting your knees as high as possible for 30 seconds.

Side Shuffles: Shuffle laterally for 5-10 meters, then reverse direction. Repeat for 3 sets.

2. Ball Warm-Up

Purpose: Build focus and hand-eye coordination while loosening up your arms.

Steps:

Toss the ball lightly to yourself and pass it in an underhand motion.

Practice setting the ball straight upward repeatedly without letting it drop.

Alternate between passing, setting, and light bumping to get comfortable with ball control.

Passing Drills

Good passing is the foundation of a successful volleyball game. Mastering the art of accurate passes ensures smooth play and sets teammates up for success.

3. Wall Passing

Purpose: Develop passing accuracy and consistency.

Steps:

Stand about 6-8 feet away from a wall.

Pass the ball against the wall using an underhand bump.

As the ball comes back, maintain steady control and continue bumping.

Focus on keeping a firm platform with your forearms and aim for a consistent angle.

Goal: Perform 20-30 consecutive passes before taking a break.

4. Partner Passing

Purpose: Improve teamwork and communication.

Steps:

Pair up with a teammate and stand 10-15 feet apart.

Practice passing the ball to each other by bumping it with your forearms.

Gradually increase the speed and accuracy of your passes as you improve.

Variation: Add a verbal cue (like calling “Mine!”) to simulate in-game communication.

Setting Drills

Setting requires precision and quick decision-making. These drills will help you sharpen your setter instincts and accuracy.

5. Self-Setting

Purpose: Improve individual ball control.

Steps:

Toss the ball lightly above your forehead.

Using only your fingertips, push the ball straight up into the air.

Continue setting it repeatedly without letting it fall.

Advanced Variation: Alternate between one-handed and two-handed sets.

6. Target Setting

Purpose: Enhance accuracy and aim for different parts of the court.

Steps:

Partner up or set up a target (like a cone or hula hoop) in a specific area of the court.

Practice setting the ball toward the target.

Adjust your footwork and setting angle to achieve consistent accuracy.

Goal: Land 10-15 sets in or near the target zone.

Serving Drills

Serving plays a crucial role in volleyball, as it starts the rally and can put your opponents on the defensive right away.

7. Toss and Hit

Purpose: Practice consistent ball toss and hitting technique for overhand serves.

Steps:

Stand in the service area and focus on tossing the ball high and consistently.

Perform an overhead serve, aiming for specific areas on the other side of the net.

Concentrate on accuracy and technique over power initially.

Goal: Serve to each zone of the opponent's court at least once.

8. Target Serving

Purpose: Develop precision and strategic serving skills.

Steps:

Place markers or cones on the opponent’s court to simulate weak spots to aim for.

Serve the ball, aiming to hit as close to the markers as possible.

Keep track of how many serves you land successfully in the target areas.

Variation: Try jump serves or float serves as you improve.

Blocking Drills

Blocking helps defend your team against powerful spikes. It requires great timing and positioning.

9. Box Jumps

Purpose: Build explosive vertical jump power for effective blocking.

Steps:

Use a sturdy box or platform that is safe to jump on (start with a lower height).

Jump onto the box, focusing on engaging your legs for an explosive push-off.

Step back down and repeat for 10-12 reps.

Variation: Incorporate lateral jumps to improve side-to-side quickness.

10. One-on-One Blocking

Purpose: Improve timing and anticipation.

Steps:

Partner with someone who will practice spiking the ball from the net.

Position yourself in front of the net and practice jumping and blocking their spikes.

Focus on timing your jumps to coincide with the hitter’s attack.

Advanced Variation: Add double blockers working together for team coordination.

Hitting (Spiking) Drills

Spiking is one of the most exciting parts of volleyball, and these drills help you improve your attacking technique.

11. Approach Practice

Purpose: Perfect your three-step or four-step approach for spiking.

Steps:

Place markers on the ground to guide your footwork (left-right-left for right-handed players, reverse for left-handed players).

Practice your approach repeatedly, focusing on timing and explosiveness.

Add a jump at the end and simulate the follow-through of a spike.

12. Toss and Hit

Purpose: Work on arm swing, accuracy, and power.

Steps:

Have a partner toss the ball slightly in front of you.

Perform your approach, jump, and swing to hit the ball over the net.

Focus on proper arm mechanics and aiming for open areas of the court.

Goal: Hit 10 balls into specific zones on the opponent’s side.

Defensive Drills

Defense ensures your team stays in rallies and can turn opponent attacks into opportunities.

13. Reaction Dives

Purpose: Improve speed and reaction time for digging fast balls.

Steps:

Have a partner hit or toss balls randomly to different spots on the court.

React quickly to dive and dig the ball to keep it in play.

Practice getting back into position after each dive.

Goal: Successfully dig 10 balls in a row.

14. Shadow Defense

Purpose: Develop defensive footwork and positioning without the ball.

Steps:

Assume a low, athletic stance.

Shuffle side-to-side along the court, simulating defensive coverage.

Focus on staying balanced and light on your feet.

Cool-Down Routine

After training, a proper cool-down helps reduce muscle soreness and improves recovery.

Static stretches, including hamstring stretches, calf stretches, and shoulder stretches, for 10-15 seconds each.

Light jogging or walking for 2-3 minutes to bring your heart rate back to resting level.

Wrapping Up

Volleyball is a game of skill, strategy, and teamwork, and consistent practice through well-designed drills is the key to improvement. By working on specific skills like passing, setting, serving, blocking, hitting, and defense, you’ll build confidence and elevate your game. Incorporate these drills into your training sessions, and watch yourself develop into a well-rounded volleyball player!