Six Best Volleyball Tips That Help You Get Better At Volleyball Fast

These are six of the best volleyball tips one for each basic skill including passing, setting, blocking, digging, spiking and serving that'll improve your game.

These are six of the best volleyball tips one for each basic skill including passing, setting, blocking, digging, spiking and serving that'll improve your game.

Try these 6 best volleyball tips ...that I've written about here on Improve Your Volley.com.. for each of the basic skills including serving, passing, setting, spiking, digging and blocking. 

Run with your arms apart to get into position to pass the ball.

If you run with your hands together to try and pass the ball, it will slow you down.

You'll move faster if you keep your arms apart and in typical running form when you move out of your starting passing position to go receive a ball that's been served short in front of you.

One of the Best Volleyball Tips For Passing on Improve your Volley. Run with your arms apart to get into position to pass the ball.

As you get to the spot on the court where you expect to pass the ball, that's when you stop quickly and put your hands together to get into your starting passing form. 

You want to be stopped before you pass the ball so that you avoid running and bumping simultaneously.

You must be in control of your body parts in order to control the ball so you'll put yourself in a better position to control the ball to the target when you pass it while stopped and in a balanced position. 

Keep Your Elbow High When Serving

All through their overhand jump float serve routine, their serving arm is kept high above the level of their ear. with an open palmed hand that faces the opposite wall. 

They do this so they can get their hand to the ball faster, after the ball has been tossed.

When you serve you want to keep your 

a) serving arm elbow high above the level of your ear

• its NOT on the ball
• its not bringing the ball up with two hands
• the elbow is kept high in the air in a VERY balanced movement....at a 45 degree angle...I like to tell my players your two arms should be in the shape of the letter "L"

b) Serving arm palm facing outwards towards the opposite wall and not turned up to the ceiling

c) Body sets up facing the net and closes with a quarter turn to the ball - WHILE elbow is ALWAYS kept high during the turn

                          Seal The Net

When you "seal the net" it means that in the middle of your block, while you are jumping, you should keep your shoulders, chest, your underarms, upper body including your chest, abs and hips parallel to the net, all while keeping as little space as possible between you and the net...without touching it.

In these videos of college players blocking, the players are "sealing the net with their block" which can be seen well from this side view.

They are "closing down the space between their armpits and the net" in order to get as far over the net as possible to block the opposing team hitter. 

Can you see how little space there is between their blocking hands, arms and bodies and the net?

There's very little if any space.

   Dig and Dive Volleyball Using The One Step Extension

Using the extension digging technique requires a digger to take one or two steps to get closer to the ball before digging it.

Usually players will use an extension technique if they need to hit the ground after deflecting the ball in the air because they are off balance after digging the ball.

This way they can quickly get back up unhurt and continue playing. 

I teach the one step extension digging method for balls that fall to the right or the left of a player in defense. 

• You take one big step towards the ball while lowering yourself to the floor so you can get one arm under the ball to deflect it back up before it hits the ground.

If the ball is falling to the right side of your body

• you take a giant step with your right foot 
• lowering yourself to the ground while your left hand is placed on the ground to help you lower your body
• your right arm extends under the ball with a closed fist turned sideways that helps deflect the ball back into the air high enough for a second player to get to the ball to make a play. 

Tip The Ball On A Perfect Set

In your spike training practice, you want to practice all the possible things you will do, if and when you get the perfect set.

Of course, when you get a perfect set you are going to want to hit the ball. But, that is also what the defense is expecting you to do.

To mix up your game, in practice, when your setter sets you the perfect ball to hit, don't! 

Tip it instead.

If you do, you will catch the defense back on their heels because they expected you to hit that ball hard and instead you fooled them and tipped it softly over their block, short in their court.

Now they have to scramble to pick a ball up that they didn't expect to get.

        Move Quickly To Get Into Position Before Setting The Ball

You want to run to position and place yourself underneath the ball, QUICKLY. 

Let me say it again...

..you should not be leaning to the ball but

• you should get to the ball quickly and 
• be in a slight loaded position, with 
• knees slightly bent in 
• a shallow squat underneath the ball. 

The slightly squatted position will give you a bit of added power from your legs to help you push the ball to your intended target once your fingers make overhead contact with the ball. 

Your body is erect and perpendicular while your legs are doing the work. To become a better setter, its best to use your forehead and your feet to guide you as you position your whole body underneath the ball.

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. 

Good times! Where do you need to go now? Here are three options: 

1. Learn more about the Tips.
2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
3. Or visit the pages in the Volleyball Tips section in the drop down menu at the top of the page.  

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