Volleyball Warm up Drills for Beginners (That Will Bring Your Best on the Court)

When you are just starting volleyball or are still a beginner, choosing the warmup drills is a big task.

And this is even more important when you are warming up without any coach. When I was starting out volleyball, I had the same problem. At times I even tried playing the game without any warm-up, which had a significant toll on my body.

Volleyball warmup drills for beginners include general light drills like jogging, dynamic stretching, balance and agility workouts, arm swing, circles, shoulder rotations, leg swings, and squats, among other things. Also, there are role-specific warm-up drills for beginners as well that make your game perfect.

After playing volleyball for more than a decade now and having trained hundreds of beginners, I can say for sure that beginners need to follow a specific set of warm-up drills to get their best on the court.

Here are those exercises:

General Warmup Drills for Beginners That Every Newbie Must Follow

This is a no-brainer. Just like every other volleyball player, beginners should also start their warmup with these general exercises. They help you build stamina while making your muscles used to playing volleyball.

Jogging

Start your warmup with a light jog. Jogging increases heart rate and blood flow, preparing your muscles for the game ahead.

Dynamic Stretching

After jogging, incorporate dynamic stretching, which involves active movements to improve flexibility and mobility. Focus on arm circles, leg swings, and torso rotations, all performed in a controlled and smooth manner. They will help you in preparing your muscles for prime time.

Here is what you can try:

Cardiovascular Exercises

As a beginner, enhancing your cardiovascular endurance is key to maintaining high energy levels during the game. Simple activities like jumping jacks, high knees, or skipping rope can be incredibly effective. Remember, start slowly and gradually increase the intensity.

Balance and Agility Drills

Balance and agility are essential skills for both experienced and beginner volleyball players alike. Especially for beginners who do not have a balanced and agile body, these warm-up drills are even more important.

For this purpose, focus on drills like:

• Ladder drills
• Cone drills
• or balance board exercises 

Upper Body Warmup Drills

Now comes the upper body warmup drills that will help you in hitting the volleyball well. Included in these drills are:

Arm Swings and Circles

Arm swings and circles help warm up the shoulder joints, which are heavily used in volleyball. 

Forward and backward arm swings and circles should be performed with controlled movements and proper form to avoid strain.

As a beginner, it will help you maintain the upper part of your body and will certainly help you in preventing injuries that may occur when you jump into the play without any warm-up.

Like this:

Shoulder Rotations

Improving the range of motion in your shoulders is critically important in volleyball. This is even more important for beginners who are yet to strengthen their shoulders for volleyball contests. 

This is safely done by using resistance bands or light weights for internal and external rotations. But keep one thing in mind. Starting with low resistance and gradually increasing as you get comfortable is the key to having a good warmup drill here.

Wrist and Hand Mobility Exercises

The wrists and hands are vital for ball control in volleyball. As a beginner, when you don’t have so much control over the ball, these warm-up drills will come in handy. 

These warmup drills include:

• Wrist circles
• Finger stretches
• And grip squeezes

Lower Body Warmup Drills

Once you are done with the upper body volleyball drill, it’s time to warm up your lower body.

Here you need to have these drills to keep your body ready for the game.

Leg Swings

Leg swings help warm up the hip and leg muscles, which are vital for volleyball movements like jumping and lateral movement.

Perform both front-to-back and side-to-side leg swings, maintaining good balance and control throughout the exercise.

Lunges and Squats

Lunges and squats activate the lower body, improving your power during jumps and quick movements. As a beginner, start with bodyweight exercises without holding any external weight. Once your body is used to this exercise, add gradual resistance as your strength improves. 

Ankle Mobility Exercises

Ankle mobility is crucial for quick movements and stability. And beginners are most prone to ankle injury if they don’t warm up properly before the game.

That is why you need to do the following:

• Ankle circles
• Heel-to-toe walks
• And calf raises.

Incorporating Fun in Volleyball Warm up Drills

Beginner should always practice fun volleyball games. It helps them keeping up their motivation while learning new things in a fancy manner.

Volleyball Role-Specific Warmup Drills

While these were the general drills that every beginner should do before the game, there are some more role-specific warmup drills that will help you in performing your role better during the game.

Let’s jump onto specific warm up drills now.

Role Specific Drills for Beginner Setters

Setting against the wall

Stand facing a wall and practice setting the ball against it. Focus on a proper hand position, using your fingertips to push the ball upward and forward. This drill helps improve hand-eye coordination and control.

Partner setting

Find a partner and stand facing each other. Take turns setting the ball to each other using proper technique. Start with short, controlled sets and gradually increase the distance between you and your partner. This drill helps improve communication and accuracy.

Setting targets

Set up targets on the court, such as cones or hoops, in different locations. Practice setting the ball to these targets, aiming for accuracy and consistency. This drill helps improve your ability to place the ball precisely where you want it.

Setting with footwork

Move around the court while setting the ball to different targets. Focus on using proper footwork to get in position quickly and maintain balance. This drill helps simulate game-like situations and enhances your ability to set from various positions.

Shadow setting

Stand in front of a mirror or in front of a wall with good visibility of your reflection. Mimic the setting motion while watching yourself. Pay attention to your hand position, body posture, and footwork. This drill helps you analyze and improve your technique.

Passing Drills for Beginners

Most volleyball beginners are afraid of passing the ball during the game. But when you are involved in proper warmup drills, it should not be a problem at all. Here are the drills that you need to do for that purpose.

Wall passing

Find a wall and practice passing the ball against it using your forearm platform. Focus on maintaining control and accuracy with your passes. Start with gentle passes and gradually increase the power. This drill helps improve your forearm passing technique.

Partner passing

Pair up with a teammate and face each other. Take turns passing the ball back and forth using forearm passes. Begin with short and controlled passes, gradually increasing the distance between you and your partner. This drill enhances communication, timing, and accuracy in passing.

Target Passing

Set up targets, such as cones or hoops, in different areas of the court. Aim to pass the ball accurately to these targets, focusing on consistency. This drill helps develop your ability to pass precisely to specific areas of the court.

Passing with footwork

Incorporate footwork into your passing drills. Move around the court while passing the ball to different targets. Emphasize proper footwork to position yourself quickly and maintain balance. This drill simulates game-like situations, improving your passing from various positions.

Zigzag passing

Arrange cones or markers in a zigzag pattern on the court. Begin at one end and pass the ball to each marker while moving along the pattern. Pay attention to maintaining a consistent passing technique while adjusting your body position and footwork. This drill enhances your passing accuracy while on the move.

Serving Warm up Drills for Beginners

Beginners who have to serve in the game must do the following warmup drills to master the art.

Drill Name	What to Do
Target Serving	Set up targets on the opposite side of the court and serve the ball to them for accuracy.
Wall Serving	Practice serving the ball against a wall to improve technique and timing.
Partner Serving	Take turns serving a partner, focusing on consistent technique and control.
Serve and Follow	Serve the ball over the net and immediately sprint forward to a designated spot on the court.
Serving with Footwork	Incorporate footwork while serving from different positions on the court.

Pepper Drill for Beginners

This drill is a two-player drill that includes passing, setting, and hitting. Player A passes to Player B, and Player B sets the ball for Player A, who then spikes or volleys the ball to Player B to start the cycle again. The Pepper Drill helps beginners develop multiple fundamental skills simultaneously.

It improves passing accuracy and control for Player A, setting technique and accuracy for Player B, and hitting/spiking timing and power for both players. It promotes communication, coordination, and teamwork, which are essential in a volleyball game.

Try to mimic the following pattern:

Shuttle Runs for Beginners

This is more of a fitness drill but very useful for volleyball beginners since agility and speed are most important for them.

Players run back and forth between two points to improve their fitness levels. It enhances beginners’ agility, speed, and endurance, which are important for quick movements on the court. 

Improved fitness levels enable players to react faster, change directions quickly, and maintain a higher level of performance throughout the game.

Blocking Drills for Volleyball Beginners

Players can practice their blocking techniques by jumping up and touching the net or a specific point on the wall, working on their vertical jumps and timing.

Blocking Drills focuses on improving players’ blocking technique, vertical jump, and timing.

By practicing jumping and touching the net or a specific point on the wall, beginners can develop their ability to time their jumps correctly, reach higher, and effectively block the opponent’s attacks. These drills help build confidence and proficiency in the blocking aspect of the game.

Digging Drills for Volleyball Beginners

Digging is an important part of the volleyball game. Every beginner and expert player has to master this skill. While experienced players already know the ins and outs of digging, beginners have a job to do here.

You can toss the ball low to the player to simulate this. Digging Drills primarily focus on developing defensive skills for beginners. By practicing falling to their knees and “digging” the ball, players learn to anticipate and react quickly to low and fast-paced attacks.

It enhances your ability to keep the ball in play, improves your reflexes, and develops body control for efficient digging movements. These drills contribute to the defensive capabilities of the team.

Final Words

Warming up is one such thing that no volleyball beginner can ignore. It prepares your body for the game, helps prevent injuries, and ultimately improves performance.

While you focus on warming up, it is also essential to set up your meal plan right so that you are up for success in every manner.