10 Volleyball Drills for Beginners to Improve Your Game

I know how critical it is to practice drills to improve your skills on the court. That’s where volleyball drills for beginners come in. Exercise can help you develop your fundamental skills and enhance your overall performance.

For beginners, starting with the basics is crucial to building a solid foundation for more advanced skills. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of ten volleyball drills for beginners to help them improve their skills and become better players.

Table of Contents

Drill 1: Warm-Up

Warming up helps to prepare your body for the physical demands of the game and reduces the risk of injury. Additionally, it helps to improve your overall performance during the game.

Now, let’s move onto the warm-up volleyball drills beginners.

Jog and Stretch: Begin by jogging around the court to increase your heart rate and loosen your muscles. After a few laps, stop and stretch your legs, arms, and back. This is a simple yet effective way to get your blood flowing and your muscles ready for action.
Passing Drills: Partner up and work on your passing skills by throwing the ball back and forth. This exercise is great for improving your hand-eye coordination and preparing you for the game. You can start with simple passes and gradually increase the difficulty as you warm up.
Shadow Volleyball: This drill is a fun way to warm up your entire body while practicing your volleyball skills. Pretend that you are playing volleyball by yourself and move around the court, hitting an imaginary ball. This drill helps to improve your footwork, reaction time, and overall coordination.

Drill 2: Passing

As a beginner, mastering this skill is crucial to improving your overall game. Whether you are a setter, a hitter, or a libero, you must pass the ball accurately and consistently.

To help you develop your passing skills, I recommend incorporating the following volleyball drills for beginners into your practice routine:

The forearm passing drill: It focuses on the proper form and technique for forearm passing. Start by standing in a ready position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Have a partner toss the ball to you, and use your forearms to pass it back to them. Repeat this drill, focusing on keeping your arms straight and locked and using your legs to generate power.
Triangle passing drill: This beginner volleyball drill focuses on footwork and movement. It involves three players and three cones arranged in a triangle. The first player passes the ball to the second, who passes to the third, and so on, until the ball returns to the first player. It’s a great way to improve movement and coordination on the court. Continue this drill, focusing on quick movement and accurate passing.
Wall passing drill: This drill is excellent for practicing accuracy and consistency. Find a flat wall and stand a few feet away from it. Pass the ball against the wall, focusing on hitting the same spot each time. This drill can be done alone or with a partner for added difficulty.

Drill 3: Serving

A good serve can help your team win points, while a poor serve can give the other team an advantage. Various types of serves are used in volleyball, such as the underhand serve, the overhand serve, and the jump serve. Each serve has its techniques and variations, and it’s essential to practice them to find the one that suits your playing style. Below are volleyball drills for beginners for serving.

The toss and serve drill:

Start by practicing your tossing technique.
Lift the ball up using your non-dominant hand and work on striking it with your dominant hand.
Keep your attention on executing a steady, uniform toss and hitting the ball at the precise moment.
Once you’ve mastered the toss, incorporate it into serving practice.
Stand in a ready position, and toss the ball up, hitting it with your dominant hand to serve it over the net.

The target serving drill: This beginner volleyball drill focuses on serving accuracy.

Set up targets on the court, such as cones or buckets.
Practice hitting them with your serves.
You can vary the distance and placement of the targets to practice different types of serves, such as short or deep serves.

Drill 4: Hitting

When it comes to volleyball drills for beginners, hitting is one of the most exciting ones. It’s a skill that requires power, accuracy, and proper technique. However, it can also be one of the most challenging skills to master. That’s why hitting drills are crucial for beginners to develop their skills and become better players.

Here are two drills to try:

The approach and hit drill: Start by standing at the back of the court and taking three or four steps forward. As you approach the net, jump and hit the ball over the net. Focus on your footwork and timing your jump properly.
The wall hitting drill: Stand a few feet from a wall and hit the ball against it. This drill is great for developing accuracy and strength. Start by hitting the ball softly, and gradually increase your power as you become more comfortable.
As a bonus drill, try the pepper drill with a partner. This drill involves hitting the ball back and forth with your partner, focusing on quick reflexes and consistent hitting.

Drill 5: Setting

As a setter, you are responsible for coordinating your team’s offense and delivering the ball to the hitters in the most advantageous position. Therefore, In volleyball drills for beginners, practice setting drills to develop your skills and improve your team’s performance.

Partner setting drill: This drill involves working with a partner to practice setting. Stand across from your partner and take turns tossing the ball to each other. Focus on keeping your hands high and your wrists firm while delivering the ball accurately to your partner. Try to vary the height and speed of your tosses to keep it challenging.
Wall setting drill: Similar to the wall passing drill, the wall setting volleyball drills for beginners are excellent for practicing accuracy and consistency. Stand a few feet away from the wall and toss the ball against it, trying to make it bounce back to you at the same height every time. Focus on using the correct hand position and wrist movement to ensure a clean set.
Circle setting drill: This involves setting the ball in a circle with your teammates. Stand in a circle and take turns setting the ball to each other. As the ball travels around the circle, aim to enhance the speed and precision of your sets. This drill is great for improving your hand-eye coordination and communication with your teammates.

Drill 6: Defensive

It’s important to work not only on your offensive but also your defensive skills. That’s where defensive volleyball drills for beginners come in to help improve your defensive game.

Defensive skills in volleyball include digging, blocking, and serving receive. Mastering these skills can significantly enhance your overall performance and help your team win more games.

The diving drill: Start by having a partner hit the ball to you, and then dive to save it. This drill can be done on a mat or a soft surface to avoid injury.
The blocking drill: This beginner volleyball drill is essential for developing blocking skills. Set up a net with a hitting line and have two players on each side. One player will hit the ball, and the other will attempt to block it. Focus on timing and footwork to successfully block the ball.
The serving receive drill: This drill focuses on receiving the serve accurately and consistently. Create a setup where one player acts as the server on one side of the net and another player acts as the receiver on the other side. The server will serve the ball, and the receiver will pass it back to the server. Focus on proper form and technique to improve your serving receive.

Drill 7: Shadow Blocking Drill

The shadow-blocking drill is a great way to practice your blocking skills without equipment. This volleyball drill for beginners aims to help you improve your blocking technique by focusing on your footwork and arm positioning. Here are the steps to follow:

Find a wall or flat surface at least as tall as you are.
Stand facing the wall, about an arm’s length away.
Get into the blocking position by raising your arms above your head.
Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height to work on your blocking technique.
Move your feet to simulate the footwork you would use during a real block.
Practice jumping and reaching for the wall as if you were blocking an imaginary ball.

Drill 8: Bump Drill

The purpose of the bump pass is to receive a ball that is too low or fast to hit with your hands. It’s an essential skill for any volleyball player, especially for beginners who are still learning the basics of the game.

To perform a basic bump pass, follow these steps:

Start in a ready position with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your knees slightly bent.
Hold your arms out in front of you with your hands clasped together and your thumbs pointed down.
Make contact with the ball using your forearms, creating a flat surface.
Keep your arms straight and your eyes on the ball as you pass it to your target.

Drill 9: Three-Person Pepper

The three-person pepper beginner volleyball drill aims to improve your passing and hitting skills while working on coordination and communication with your teammates.

Here are the steps to follow:

Stand in a triangle formation with your partners, facing each other.
One partner will start by serving the ball to the other two players.
The receiving players will then pass the ball back and forth using bump passes, trying to keep the ball off the ground.
After a few passes, one of the receiving players will set the ball to the other player for a hit.
The player who hits the ball will rotate to become the server, and the drill will continue.

Drill 10: Cool-Down

As a beginner volleyball player, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of practicing and forget the importance of cooling down after a long session. Cooling down is crucial for preventing injury and reducing muscle soreness after a workout. It allows your body to return to a resting state gradually, decreasing the chances of blood pooling and lightheadedness.

Below are some volleyball drills for beginners to help you cool down after your volleyball practice.

Slow Jog: Start by jogging slowly around the court or field. Keep your breathing steady and your heart rate low. This exercise is designed to bring your body back to a resting state gradually.
Static Stretching: Begin by standing upright and stretching your arms to the side. Then, bring your arms together before you, interlocking your fingers and stretching your shoulders. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds before moving on to the next one. You can also stretch your hamstrings, quads, and calves.
Foam Rolling: Foam rolling is a great way to massage your muscles and decrease soreness after a workout. Start by placing the foam roller on the ground and slowly roll your back, hamstrings, and quads over it. Apply pressure to any sore or tight spots, and take deep breaths.

I hope you liked the the volleyball drills for beginners, do let me know some of your favorite volleyball drills.