What's The Secret To A Beach Volleyball Forearm Pass in Volleyball?

The beach volleyball forearm pass requires a player to use flat forearms held together by clasped hands that guide the ball to another player or over the net.   

The beach volleyball forearm pass requires a player to use flat forearms held together by clasped hands that guide the ball to another player or over the net. (Ralph Aversen)

Whether you call it

• serve receive
• bump
• or the forearm pass

the ability to receive the serve requires a player to transfer a ball

• using their flat forearms clasped together by the hands and angled at the shoulders 
• while guiding it in the air and/or in the direction of another player or over the net. 

Beach volleyball passing is one of the most critical aspects of the beach volleyball game.

Quite frankly, with

• practice,
• concentration and 
• repetition 

you should be able to improve your beach volleyball passing technique in no time at all.

In sand volleyball the way that you should place your feet for the beach volleyball forearm pass ready position isn't much different than what's done in indoor volleyball. (Ralph Aversen, AVP Austin))

In beach volleyball the way that you should place your feet for the forearm pass ready position does not differ much than what you do in an indoor volleyball game. 

Your feet should be

• in a comfortably balanced position about shoulder width apart
• with your knees bent in a slight squat so that you can move front, back, sideways, diagonally or turn and run quickly.

Some players prefer to have their right foot forward when they are passing on the right side and have their left foot forward when passing on the left to

• protect the line that they are playing the closest to and
• it positions their body to face where they want the ball to go.

Alternatively, there are players who

• face their target so they pass straight ahead stepping right to the ball

While the majority of pro players

• angle their shoulders to the target regardless of where they are on the court,

similar to what players do when they were playing indoor.

The majority of pro players angle their shoulders to the target regardless of where they are on the court, similar to what players do when they were playing indoor. (Ralph Aversen)

The secret to better passing in beach volleyball is to

• move your feet so that you get your body behind the ball,

when you can,

• you always want to play the ball within the centerline of your body.

The secret to better passing in beach volleyball is to move your feet so you get your body behind the ball, when you can, you want to play the ball within the centerline of your body. (Ralph Aversen)

Because you're now playing in the sand,

• you want to run to get to the ball and then
• fight to get your feet in a balanced position underneath you

so that you can have your body behind the ball.

Passing from a straddled position with a stance where one foot is two or three feet in front of the other is not a balanced position.

Beach Volleyball Forearm pass: Have both feet squarely planted side-by-side, so you're not rocking back and forth or wobbling around by the time you contact the ball. (Ralph Aversen)

The best serve receive position for the beach volleyball forearm pass is to have both feet squarely planted side-by-side, so you're not rocking back and forth or wobbling around by the time you contact the ball.

For any last minute adjustments that you make (and you will have to make them) you want to make them so you finish up in this balanced position.

Just like in indoor you "pass with your legs".

You use your

• bent knees and leg strength to get underneath the ball
• getting your body as far towards the ball to play it
• by stepping into it

with your platform angled to the target.

This has been an important message by your favorite volleyball coach! That's me!!

Thanks for visiting.

Be sure to check out more of my volleyball articles by clicking one of the links below!  (April Chapple)

Follow me on Instagram @coach_apchap to improve your game even faster!

I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list. 

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