Volleyball is a fast-paced game with many different skills and techniques. It can be hard to know where to start! But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are 6 volleyball drills for beginners that will get your feet wet and help you learn the basics of this exciting sport.
Volleyball Drills for Beginners
1. Two-Person Warm Up Drills
If you are learning volleyball, it can be helpful to have someone who already knows the basics show you how to do certain skills. This is one of the most basic drills in volleyball because it only requires two people. It’s a great way for beginners to learn how to pass, set, and hit.
The Drill: Have one person stand in the front left corner of the court, while the other stands in front right corner. The player at the front right corner will pass to his or her partner, who will be standing in the same spot where the ball was passed (this is called a set).
The partner then hits the ball so it touches the ground and bounces once on the other side of the court before crossing over to the left corner. The partner who hit the ball then moves into that left corner, while the passer becomes the new hitter.
The passers should remember not to stand directly in front of their partners when setting or passing; they need to be standing a little bit to the side. This allows their partners to see where they are setting or passing the ball, increasing the chances that it will be successful.
2. Spiking Drills
Like blocking, spiking can be practiced both individually or with a partner. If you’re practicing on your own, it’s good to have two balls available so that you can spike them one after another.
The first drill is pretty simple. Place a ball on the ground in front of you and jump up to spike it towards your target. The target can be anything, from a coach holding a mitt to the back left or right corner of the court, just make sure it’s safe! Repeat this ten times for each foot.
Next is a two-ball drill. Set up two balls in the same way as the last drill, but this time you can’t bring your feet back down after you jump.
Repeat ten times for each foot before switching to the other ball.
The final spiking drill requires a partner. Have your partner stand on one side of the net with a mitt ready to catch any spikes. If you like, you can put a ball on the other side to make it easier for your partner to see and catch the ball!
Spike directly at your partner; he or she will move his or her arm to where they think you’ll spike and try to catch the ball. When he or she does get it, it’s their turn to spike! Repeat this drill for however long you want.
3. Passing Drills
Passing is one of the most important skills you need to learn as a volleyball player. In order to set up your team for success, your passing needs to be accurate and well-timed. That’s why passing is the first skill we will talk about!
The Drill: This drill is done with two players, but you can also do it as a free-for-all where everyone passes to everyone else. The idea here is simple: practice passing the volleyball back and forth.
Players stand about 3 or 4 feet apart and hold the ball out in front of them with their hands facing up. The first player hits the ball towards his or her partner, who will swing his or her arm back and then forward to hit the ball like a volleyball player (with an open palm and fingers).
Keep passing the ball back and forth, encouraging each other to keep the passes low. After a minute or two, switch sides so your left hand is dominant.
If you are just starting out, don’t worry about speed or power just yet! Focus on accuracy and timing first. You will find yourself gradually getting faster as you continue to play volleyball, but this shouldn’t be your top priority when you are just starting out.
4. Digging Drills
Whether it is an errant pass, a hard-hit spike, or even a deflection from the net, every volleyball player needs to be able to dig! Being able to quickly react and burst upwards at full speed will help both you and your team out.
You can practice these drills with a partner or on your own, but you might want to have someone nearby so they can help you if you are struggling.
The Drill: Begin by standing in the front right corner of the court with a ball in one hand and your other arm up in the air, parallel to the ground.
The partner or coach will throw the ball high and slightly to your right. As soon as you see it coming, pivot on your left foot and jump straight up in the air with both arms extended above your head (the one that is holding the ball should go up first).
Punch upwards with both hands towards the incoming ball, then hold that position for a count of two. This is the position your arms will be in when you’re “digging” (so don’t move). After the count of two, bring your right arm down and punch up with your left hand, then bring it back to its starting position.
Continue alternating punches like this until the ball either hits the ground, goes out of bounds (in which case your partner will call “dig”), or hits you in the face (in which case your partner will call “oh!”).
5. Passing/Setting Drills
Passing and setting are two skills that go very well together, but they can also be practiced individually. You’ll most likely be working on both of these skills at the same time in practice, but it’s good to know how to do each one separately.
The partners or partners will start this drill in perfect passing position (one partner with their arms up and the other with the ball ready to pass). The passer steps forward slightly and tosses the ball underhand to the setter, who is standing a few feet away.
The setter catches the ball and immediately sets it back up to his or her partner for another pass. This drill can be repeated as many times as you want, working on speed but also accuracy!
6. Blocking Drills
There are many different types of blocks, but they all have one thing in common: building the perfect block takes quick reactions! 
The first drill for this is very simple; the setter sets the ball high and far over to his or her right (the opposite side that he or she is standing on). The blocker stands to the left of the setter and has to jump and cross over quickly in order to get there.
The block starts when the ball leaves the setter’s hands, so the blocker doesn’t have much time. After a minute or two, switch sides so your right hand is dominant for blocking.
The next drill is slightly more complex; your coach will serve to the middle of the court, and the hitter (with a mitt on his or her hand) will hit it straight up.
One blocker stands in the front left corner while one blocker stands in the back right. The two blockers will switch positions before each new serve. The ball shouldn’t hit the ground before it reaches the middle of the court.
The coach should vary the height and placement of each serve to make it more difficult for the blockers!
Important note: For both drills, the blocker(s) should wear ankle guards if they are available. Blocking can be very dangerous without them, since the ball might bounce off your arms and hit you in the face.
Conclusion
This blog post has provided six volleyball drills for beginners. Learning the basics of this exciting sport can be difficult, but these tips will get you started on your way to becoming an expert player! Which drill are you most interested in trying? Please be sure to reach out to Volleyball Gear Guide and let us know.
