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In our earlier part for Volleyball we featured various techniques on what many beginners would focus on and as we move forward the game becomes somewhat more intense allowing you to play at the competitive level of play.

Enjoy part 2

Conditioning Volleyball Drills for Beginners

Conditioning is a part of almost every sport, including volleyball and I found that out the hard way so hopefully you perform conditioning drills regularly. It’s not about the technique with conditioning, but more about building up strength and stamina. 

If you practice good physical conditioning then you’re going to be able to play through an entire game without cramping, and there are several other health benefits. 

The better your conditioning routine is the more likely you’re going to be able to concentrate during those important seconds of a hard game. 

Not only are these great volleyball drills for beginners, but better conditioning means you’ll see and feel more health benefits from volleyball.

Hitting the Slopes

Hitting the slopes refers to moving like you’re skiing and it’s a very useful drill to help increase your agility. 

Moving side-to-side is essential for being able to go low and hit the ball in these tight locations. Image Steven Ross

Moving side-to-side in volleyball is essential if you want to be able to hit the ball when it’s in a corner.

How to Do It:

  • Put your hands behind your back and keep them together with your feet apart until they are about shoulder-width.
  • You will need to jump from side-to-side so that you go from your right to your left foot.
  • As you land on the right foot, swing out the left foot so that it’s a little further than the right. This is going to increase your leg strength and overall leg mobility.
  • It should be done for 5 minutes for the first couple of weeks, and then increase to 10 minutes.

On the Line

A gymnasium or outside football field is where On the Line drills take place. Sprint Drills by Lance Goyke

On the Line remains one of the most effective volleyball drills for beginners if you’re focused on improving your conditioning.

Not only are you going to improve your agility, but you’ll also increase your speed and improve your balance.

How to Do It:

  • You’ll need to begin at an end line and then quickly sprint up to the 10-foot line.
  • Sprint as quickly as you can to the end line.
  • From the middle line and sprint down to the end line.
  • Sprint down to the 10-foot line on the far side and then back to the end line.
  • Lastly, you want to go from the furthest end line to the starting line.
  • As you are going from one line to another, make sure you touch each of the lines with your hands and can be hard to remember at first if this is your first time doing multiple volleyball drills for beginners.

    Blocking effectively means practicing jumping near the same height as the volleyball net. Volleyball by Lauren / CC

Variations

  • Several different variations are possible with this drill including timing yourself, which is a great modification if you’re using this as one of the main volleyball drills for beginners.
  • There’s also the variation where you can focus on beating your own time so that you’re competing with yourself. I’m someone that enjoys competing with myself so this is what I loved about this drill.
  • This drill also could be used as a race for more competition and have multiple people performing the drill at once to see who’s the quickest.

Going for the Block

If you’re looking to increase your block height while you’re at the net, going for a block is a great conditioning drill to perform.

Volleyball requires you to be as good at defense as you are at offense and that’s what makes this a top choice for volleyball drills for beginners.

How to Do It:

  • Measure how tall the volleyball net is and then put a mark or line on a wall that is of the same height.
  • Begin jumping up and down in front of the wall as quickly as you can.
  • Make sure that your arms are raised as high as they normally would be if you were blocking right at the top of the net.
  • Perform this jumping movement for 5 minutes at this quick pace.
  • From a squatting position, do complete jumps so that your back is parallel to your knees. Continue this slower squatting jump for another 5 minutes.

Strategic & Tactical Volleyball Drills for Beginners

Strategic and tactical volleyball drills for beginners are primarily focused on teamwork and executing as a group. A variety of playing strategies are used during these drills so you want to have already developed individual skills before getting into these team drills.

They are great volleyball drills for beginners that haven’t played on a team previously. Strategic and tactical drills also are geared towards having fun since the enjoyment from these drills will allow the skills and talent of each player to shine through.

Two Pile

You can start the two pile drill anywhere, including on the court during practice. ms vb at FHE by Photosavvy / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The two pile drill is a fun drill that you’re going to love because it helps you develop better communication skills with your teammates.

This drill is also useful to help you increase your reaction time, which means it’s a perfect choice for useful volleyball drills for beginners.

Part 3 will be posted Saturday June 12th

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