Advanced Volleyball Drills (That Make You a Real Pro)

Mastering the game of volleyball requires practicing intense and advanced drills that will hone your skill set over time.

Advanced volleyball drills help you achieve your long-term volleyball goals and have to be practiced when you are done with beginner-friendly volleyball drills.

Advacned Volleyball Drills

Advanced drills give a different feel when you do them with premium volleyballs, that will give you a real feel of the game.

Here are the details of all the advanced volleyball drills that will help you become the master of the game.

3 Skill Pepper with Partner

This skill will improve coordination between passing, setting and hitting. Here is how you do it:

Steps

• Two players face each other.
• Player A passes to themselves, then sets to themselves and smashes the ball toward player B
• Now, player B passes and sets to themselves and smashes it towards player A.

The cycle goes on.

The drill may seem easy in the beginning, but when you continue doing it with your partner without dropping the ball, it starts to challenge you big time.

Also, both of you can come closer to each other, which will reduce the distance but increase the difficulty level.

3 Player Down Ball with Movement

This drill emphasizes the skill of executing a down ball to a designated area following a sequence of touches.

Setup

• Divide the players into two teams.
• Position a setter for each team close to the net.
• Three players from each team should move up from the baseline while the rest line up at the baseline.

Procedure

• The drill begins with the coach tossing a free ball to one of the teams.
• The player who receives the first contact sends the ball to the setter.
• The setter then delivers an overhead pass to one of the three players who moved up from the baseline.
• The chosen player then plays a down ball over the net, targeting the opposing team.
• After hitting the down ball, the player steps out, and a new player from the baseline takes their position.
• The drill continues on the opposite side of the court.

Coaching Tips

 Emphasize the importance of each phase: the pass, set, and down ball.

And ensure players use the correct technique when hitting the down ball.

Volleyball Serving Around the World Drill

This drill is designed to help players practice serving to all six zones on the volleyball court.

Setup

Split the participants into two teams. Each team should be on opposite serving lines on the court.

Provide two volleyballs to each team.

Procedure

• One team lines up behind the serving line while a member from their team sits on the opposite side of the net in zone 1.
• Team members take turns attempting to serve the ball to their seated teammate across the net.
• Once the seated player successfully catches a serve, they join the serving line.
• The server who successfully served the ball to the seated player then takes a seat in zone 2.
• This process continues, moving through all six zones until the team has successfully served to a player in each zone.
• Simultaneously, the opposing team on the other side of the net follows the same procedure.

Variations

• Focus serves on specific zones that require additional practice.
• For a more challenging version, if a serve is missed, the team must restart from zone 1.
• This drill will dramatically increase the serve accuracy of a team, thus giving them a massive edge to score aces.

Coaching Tips

Observe and ensure players are following through properly on their serves.

Quick Setter Transitioning Drill

This dynamic drill aims to train the setter to transition swiftly to the net.

Setup

Three players lie face down on the serving line. These players are a setter, a middle back, and an outside hitter.

Procedure

• The coach initiates the drill by slapping the ball. This serves as a cue for the players to quickly stand up. The coach then tosses the ball to the middle-back player.
• The setter rapidly moves to the net, readying themselves to set the incoming ball.
• The middle-back player passes the ball to the setter. The setter then sets the ball to the outside hitter, who proceeds to hit the ball over the net.
• After each round, players rotate their positions, except for the setter. The setter returns to their starting position on the serving line.

Variations

To make the drill competitive, keep a tally of successful hits that go over the net and land within the court boundaries.

Coaching Tips

 Encourage players to rotate between the passer and hitter positions.

 Regularly switch out setters to give everyone a chance to practice.

This drill is effective in enhancing the setter’s agility and transition speed, ensuring they are always ready to set up the next play.

12 Ball Wash Drill

This drill is designed to enhance skills related to back-row attacking and defending against back-row attacks.

Setup

 Position one team on each side of the net.

 The drill starts with the coach tossing a ball into play.

Procedure

• Inform the players that they are engaging in a volleyball game where only the back-row players are permitted to attack.
• A team must score two consecutive points to rotate.
• The coach alternates the sides when tossing a free ball into play.
• The first team to complete a full team rotation is declared the winner.

Variations

• To expedite the game, teams can rotate after scoring just one point.
• For more advanced players or teams, require more than two consecutive points (e.g., five in a row) before rotating.
• Allow seasoned players to serve the ball into play as an alternative to the coach’s toss.

Coaching Tips

 Ensure that players attacking from the back row jump from behind the ten-foot line.

This drill is effective in honing the skills of back-row players, both in terms of attacking and defending.

Serve and Shag Drill

This drill is designed to warm up the arms, refine the serving technique, and simultaneously condition the body.

Setup

• Split the players into two groups, positioning them on both serving lines.
• Provide each player with a volleyball.

Procedure

1. On the command “SET GO,” all players serve their balls simultaneously.
2. Right after serving, players sprint around the court to collect their ball.
3. Once they’ve retrieved their ball on the opposite side, they serve again.
4. Continue this process for a duration of 5 to 10 minutes.
5. At the end of the drill, players tally the number of successful serves they made within the court boundaries and report their count to the coach.
6. The player with the highest number of successful serves receives a reward.

Coaching Tips

• Stress the importance of not rushing the serving process. Players should focus on technique during the serve and then accelerate their pace by sprinting to retrieve the ball.
• Ensure that players are genuinely sprinting and not merely jogging. If a player is observed jogging, consider deducting from their final score.

Line Hitting Drill

This drill concentrates on enhancing the skill of hitting down the volleyball court’s line. It also emphasizes establishing a rhythm in passing that sets up the shot down the line.

Setup

•  Position three players on each side of the court: a line defender, a setter, and a hitter.
•  The line defender should be ready to defend the line opposite the hitter.
•  The coach should have a collection of balls near the net.

Procedure

•  The coach initiates the drill by tossing a free ball to the line defender on one side of the court.
•  The line defender passes the ball to the setter.
•  The setter then sets the ball to the hitter along the sideline.
•  The hitter aims to play the ball down the line, targeting the line defender.
•  The sequence continues until the ball is dropped or not returned.

Variations

 After each contact, players can rotate positions, following the trajectory of their ball.

 Adjust the players’ positions to align with specific offensive or defensive strategies.

Coaching Tips

Emphasize the proper techniques for bumping, setting, and hitting.

This drill is effective in refining the players’ ability to hit down the line and in establishing a consistent passing rhythm.

Jousting Volleyball Drill

The drill aims to train players on the technique of jousting, where the ball is near the centerline of the net, and both teams can make a play on it. The goal is to effectively win the joust and direct the ball to the opponent’s side.

Setup

• Players are grouped into threes or fours.
•  Two players stand on opposite sides of the net, ready in a blocking position.
•  A third player (the tosser) stands off to the side with a ball.

Procedure

•  The tosser throws a high ball towards the middle of the net.
•  The two players facing each other at the net jump and attempt to joust over the ball.
•  After five tosses from one side and five from the other, players rotate positions.

Variations

There are usually two variations of this drill, including:

Contact First and Redirect: Suitable for taller players or those with a high reach. The player aims to be the first to touch the ball and redirect it away from the opponent.

Contact Second and Block: This strategy requires reading the opponent’s intentions. Players anticipate the ball’s direction and block the opponent’s attempt.

Coaching Tips

• Emphasize the importance of safety. Players should be trained to stop immediately when someone yells “ball!” to avoid accidents.
• Encourage players to read the opponent’s movements and anticipate the ball’s direction.
• Ensure players maintain a ready blocking position and react quickly during the joust.

This drill is effective in teaching players the nuances of jousting in volleyball, emphasizing quick reactions, anticipation, and safety.

One Versus Three Volleyball Drill

This drill aims to enhance players’ movement, communication, and ball-handling skills by expanding on the traditional volleyball pepper drill.

Setup

•  Four players and one volleyball are required.
•  One player (the “hitter”) stands at the back corner of the court.
•  The other three players position themselves at the opposite back corner on the same side of the net.

Procedure

• The hitter sends the ball toward the trio of players.
• Based on the ball’s trajectory, one of the three players calls out, indicating they’ll handle the ball, and then digs it into the air.
• After successfully digging the ball, this player immediately transitions to the opposite corner of the court.
• With two players now in the original corner, one of them calls out and sets the ball into the air, then moves to the opposite corner.
• The process resets with three players on one side and the hitter on the other. The last player from the initial trio hits the set ball back to the other three, restarting the sequence.

Coaching Tips

• Emphasize the importance of clear and timely communication. With multiple players in close proximity, it’s crucial to avoid collisions and ensure the ball is effectively handled.
• Encourage players to stay alert and be ready to move or adjust based on their teammates’ actions.
• This drill not only sharpens communication and ball-handling skills but also offers a conditioning component, as players are continuously moving across the court.

Final Words

Advanced volleyball drills go beyond fun.

While fun volleyball practices help you to keep yourself engaged while keeping you stuck to the court, advanced drills are crucial to improving the game so that you can play better than anybody else.

Although there are volleyball clubs or clinics that can help you with all these advanced drills, these facilities can be quite expensive at times, which urges players to learn these skills with some other partners.