If you love volleyball, you want to make sure that you are giving your team the best chance of winning. The best way to do this is by working on your skills. But what are some of the ways you can take to become the standout player on your team?
There are a few steps to take. First, you’ll need to build your physical fitness. Then, turn your attention to learning the technical skills. In particular, you’ll need to focus on serving and passing. You might also want to take private lessons. You will also want to be a team player.
Becoming the best player on your team will be a lot of effort. But it will be worth it, as you win the admiration of your teamwork and get more wins on the court. Keep reading to learn the steps that you’ll need to follow to become the best player you can be.
Boost Your Physical Fitness
Volleyball is a very physical game, giving you a whole-body workout. You need to make sure that you will be able to keep up on the court. You’ll need to get used to making explosive movements and stretching into odd positions.
There are plenty of ways that you can do this. Here are some of the options that you might want to explore:
- Sprints. Try some HIIT training to boost your speed. Run as fast as you can for 30 to 45 seconds. Then give yourself a 30-second break. Keep repeating this process for five to ten minutes. You should start to see results very quickly.
- Jump rope. It can also be a good idea to do some jump rope. This is a good way of boosting your lower body strength while improving your cardio performance. As you are doing this, try improving your footwork and coordination. Switch between one to two feet.
- Side to side twist. This is a great way for you to build your core strength. It will also work your upper body.
- Jumping squats/ dumbbell squats. If you want to replicate the explosive power needed when playing, these are great exercises. Adding weights helps work your upper body and shoulders, as well as your legs and core.
- Pushups. These will allow you to build upper body and shoulder strength. As a result, you will be able to put more power behind each serve.
These exercises are a good place to start. If you have a coach, you can ask them what other things you should be doing to stay fit.
It should be noted that you should take a break from high-impact activities after a game. You need to give your muscles some time to recover. Because of this, you might want to consider some low-impact activities. This can be something like yoga, tai-chi, or swimming.
Improve Your Serve
If you want to be the best player on your team, improving your physical fitness isn’t enough. You also need to find ways to improve your performance on the volleyball court. One of the best ways to do this is by learning how to improve your serve.
As you are doing this, there are several important elements that you should focus on. First, it’s important to make sure that you are getting the right stance. This will ensure that you have plenty of control when you are serving.
You’ll also need to make sure that you are controlling where the ball is going. You’ll also need to have some control over the speed that you are serving. This is a simple exercise that you can use to practice your serve:
- Position a bin across the court.
- When you are serving try to get the ball into the bin.
- Over time, change the position of the bin, moving it further away. You can also increase the difficulty by reducing the size of the bin.
Make sure that you are practicing multiple types of serves. Most importantly, you’ll need to focus on mastering underhand and sidearm serves. Though you should also spend a little time on overhand serves. The more types of serves you can do, the better your attack will be. Click here for 10 Volleyball Serving Tips for Beginners.
Focus on Controlling Your Passes
Another essential skill you need to learn to develop is the ability to control your passing. This will allow you to get the ball to another player. They will then be able to set the ball and get it over the net. This will require you to do a few important things.
First, you will need to get control of the ball. This means that you will need to eliminate any spin. Then, you’ll need to direct it towards the setter. As you are doing this, you’ll need to make sure that the ball is high enough for them to be able to put it over the net.
Performing an effective pass will take a lot of skill. There are a few ways that you can increase your odds of doing this. First, you’ll need to make sure that your stance is right. This applies to both your feet and your arm positioning. The ball should be hitting the same place, the inside of your forearm, every time. This will give you a more consistent approach.
It can often help to use drills to help you with this aspect. There are a few ways that you can do this. You can try to get the ball in the same place every time. Another option is to practice passing the ball back and forth with your partner.
Play Multiple Positions
Throughout your playing career, you’ll often find you have a preferred playing position. Depending on the level of volleyball work your way up to, you may even develop a specialized position. However, you should take the opportunity to play (and understand first-hand) multiple positions. This ensures that you know what each player needs to do, and the unique challenges they face. It’s best to experience this first-hand.
You will often be able to use this knowledge to inform your tactical decisions. You’ll have a better idea of what is expected of every position and player on the court. This will make you a more effective teammate.
Get Private Lessons
Team coaching sessions are vitally important. But they can be limited. The coach only has a limited amount of time, and they need to split it six ways. Because of this, you might want to consider getting private lessons.
You’ll be able to get more insight into the way you play. They will be able to point out any bad habits that you have developed. Plus, all the lessons will be personalized to suit you. At these lessons, you’ll be able to ask more questions, so you understand what you are learning. Click here for Are Private Volleyball Lessons Worth it?
Be a Good Team Player
It’s always good to be willing to put in the hard work to improve your skills. But volleyball isn’t an individual sport. Ultimately, your performance will come down to your team. Because of this, you will need to make sure that you are a team player. Here are some of the skills you’ll need to cultivate to do this:
- Communicate. You need to provide a clear source of leadership, making sure everyone is on the same page.
- Encourage your teammates. Give your teammates plenty of compliments after a good game. This is a great way to keep everyone motivated.
- Lead by example. Most importantly, put your all into each game, regardless of the scoreboard. Eventually, this attitude will become infectious, spreading through the whole team. Click here for How to Build Sports Team Chemistry
Final Thoughts
There is no reason why you can’t be the best player on your team. All it takes is a positive mental attitude and a willingness to put in the hard work. Hopefully, these tips will help you become an outstanding player, capable of leading your team to victory.
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