Volleyball Ball Handling Drills

These drills will improve your ball handling skills.volleyball silhouette image by Slobodan Djajic from Fotolia.com

Ball handling is an important aspect in the game of volleyball. Since players are not permitted to grab or palm the ball, the game requires the ability to control the ball and change its direction with the fingertips. There are many drills that focus on these fundamental skills. The more these drills are practiced, the easier handling the ball will become.

Three Person Pepper: Center Digger Drill

This is a simple ball handling drill that is good for beginners because it allows players to become familiar with the basic hits associated with volleyball. Three players begin with a ball and line up on one side of the net. The first player in line sets the last player in line who hits the ball to the middle player. The player in the middle digs the ball back to the last player in line, who sets to the first player in line, who hits the ball back to the middle player, who will once again dig the ball to the player who just hit the ball. After the middle player acts as the center digger for a set number of hits, have the three players rotate so each player gets a turn as the digger.

Juggling the volleyball is effective and can be done without teammates. Much like a basketball player who dribbles the ball on the way to the park or gym, a volleyball player who juggles simply sets the ball with both hands 3 to 4 feet above his head. While juggling, the player should work on the correct form and make sure the fingertips are controlling the ball. Once a player can consistently juggle, add different skills to the equation the make the drill more difficult. Add hand claps behind the back between sets, or touch the ground between each set to improve concentration.

This is a team drill meant to improve teamwork, conditioning and ball control ability. The object of the drill is to keep the volleyball in play and in the same place for as many hits as possible. The first player sets the ball high and runs toward one sideline and then reverses to the other sideline before rejoining the group. Each player in line should follow the first player until everyone has a turn. Keep this drill going as long as possible and vary the type of hits.

Much like the in-line drill, this drill requires the players to move but the ball to remain in the same position. Using two balls, the players form a circle on one side of the floor. A ball starts on each side of the circle and the player with the ball hits it high and moves to the next position clockwise. The first player passes to the second who passes to the third and so on until the ball returns to the first player. Increase the number of balls as the team gets more consistent at keeping two in the air at the same time.