Here is a 6v6 volleyball drill that can involves more that just 12 players. The drill can easily be re-designed to meet a variety of objectives.

This drill was provided by Coaching Volleyball

By John Forman

Coach Forman is currently the assistant volleyball coach at Midwestern State University. Before that he was the Head Coach of the professional women’s team at Svedala Volleybollklubb in Sweden. He also coached at Rhode Island and Brown University.

Synopsis: This is a 6 on 6 drill/game that you can use to keep many players active and not sitting out for long periods of time.

Age/Skill Level: This is a drill for all levels

Requirements: 12+ players, one court

Execution: Set up one side of the court with a team of 6. The rest of the players are on the other side. Six are on the court, with the rest ready to come in. The 6s side serves and the teams play out a rally as normal. On the next serve, a new player serves and bumps the player or players in their position. For example, if an OH serves, they bump the current back row OH up to front row, and the front row one goes off to become a server. Thus, a new player comes in at the start of each rally, and one goes off.

Variations:

• If you want your pin hitters to attack both on the left and on the right, they can do something like a middle back to left front to right front rotation.
• You can fix certain positions, for example setter.
• You can can have certain positions rotate separately without serving, for example middles.
• If you have enough numbers, you could do the same substitution pattern, or about the same, on both sides of the court and make it 6s vs 6s.

Additional Comments:

• This drill is something you can use in a situation where you want to work on your starting rotation, or if you want to work on certain serve receive rotations.
• You don’t have to score the play if you don’t want to, but there are a number of ways you can use scoring. In the most basic way you can play games to X number of points as an indication of when to change things up on the 6 side – be it turn the rotation or swap out players. If there’s something specific you want to work on, you can use some kind of bonus point scoring.

 

Do you want to be better defensively? Would you like your players to be more mentally tough? Here is a two ball blocking and mental toughness drill that will improve your blocking skills and can be used to help develop mental toughness in your players.

In the clip below Susie Johnson, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Head Women’s Volleyball Coach; 5x League Coach of the Year; 10 NCAA Tournament Berths, demonstrates a two ball blocking drill that doubles as a mental toughness drill.

The drill begins with two middle blockers and two right side blockers on the defensive side of the net. The middles and outside blockers will rotate each two ball sequence. On the other side of the the net you will need a setter, middle and outside hitter. You will also need two other people to toss the two balls.

The first ball is tossed to the setter who will set a “quick attack”. Immediately after the quick attack, the second coach will toss a quick temp ball to the outside hitter.  The temp of this ball can be adjusted based on the attack of your upcoming opponent.

On the defensive side of the net, the middle must block the “quick” and then quickly slide out wide to block the outside attack. Two new blockers step up and the sequence is repeated. The four defenders must block 10 balls before they can rotate out of the drill.

This blocking and mental toughness drill is just a sample of the many drills that Coach Johnson shares in her coaching DVD. For more information about that DVD click the link Using Practice Drills to Develop Mental Toughness.

The YouTube video below has audio, so please make that your volume is turned up and that you have access to the site. Click the arrow to play the video. Note that some schools block access to YouTube.

 

Because of active defenders, hitting the ball in different directions is imperative for middle hitters. Here is a tip from Bond Shymansky, University of Iowa Head Coach to help your middle hitter be more effective.

In the video clip below Coach Shymansky breaks down the fundamental aspects of executing  a powerful directional three meter hit. This is a shot that your middle will want to hit down and angle to the left back three meter line.

The first key point is the left elbow drive. The left elbow drive would normally add power to your hit. To execute this directional hit your middle hitters need to drive their elbow down into their stomach on the fast exchange. This action will her their torso rotated and open to the sideline and allow them to hit the proper angle.

Secondly, as they make their swing and go elbow to wrist they need to focus on finishing with their thumb down and around the ball. It is important that the middle hitters keep their elbow high as they finish down and around the ball. This action will force the ball down hard and towards the sideline.

This clip is just a sample from Coach Shymansky’s middle hitter training DVD. In the DVD Coach Shymansky y shares more than 40 tips to help you improve your middle hitting and blocking play. Intensity, footwork, getting open for a set and always communicating with your setter are keys for middle hitters.

For more information about that DVD click the link ‘Gettin’ Better’ – 40 Tips for Better Middle Hitting & Blocking

The YouTube video below has audio, so please make sure that your sound is turned up and that you have access to the site. Click the arrow to play the video.  Note that some schools block access to YouTube.

 

.Get your middles involved and make them a force to be reckoned with! This fast paced Middle Hitter drill called the Kill 50 Drill will really help develop your middle hitters and condition them well.

In the clip below Rick Reynolds, Idaho State University Women’s Head Volleyball Coach, demonstrates a middle hitter drill that he utilizes to help train his middles to penetrate their block, get off in transition and hit balls to five key areas on the court. The Kill 50 middle hitter drill is also an excellent conditioning drill.

The set up for this middle hitter drill calls for one back row passer, one setter and one middle hitter on the same side of the net. On the opposite side of the net place two coaches on each sideline. The will alternate giving either a free ball or a down ball to the back row passer. On the side of the coaches mark off 5 key target zones (deep right, deep left, middle tip, short right, short left).

The coach will enter a ball to the back row passer. The middle will move to block as the coach delivers the ball over the net. It is important to stress that the middle get penetration on their block and then transition to attack. The middle will then take the set and try to hit one of the five area. One point is scored for each target hit. The middle hitter will rotate out and the next hitter steps in. The drill should be fast paced with very little time between balls.

The goal is to get 50 kills. You may need to set a time limit of 10 minutes and see how many you can get.

This middle hitter drill is from a Volleyball Coaching DVD . For more information about that DVD click the link:

Ensuring Your Middle Shows Up for Every Swing.

The YouTube video below has audio, do please make sure that your sound is turned up and that you have access to the site. Note that some schools block access to YouTube

If your outside hitter out performs the oppositions outside hitter, your chance of winning are pretty good. In this post you will see a outside hitter drill designed to determine who is your best hitter.

In the clip below Sarah Wall, former head coach at Carl Junction High School, describes an outside hitter drill that she uses to not only work her hitters but determine exactly who is her are her best hitters. This is critical to her as she believes that you must play your best hitters outside.

The outside hitter drill that she uses is what she calls the Outside Hitter Tournament.  To begin the drill place your best setter and libero on the side of the net the net of the outside hitter that you want to test. The other three players can be placed randomly. These players will remain in their position for the entirety of the outside hitter drill. On the other side of the net place use your best middle to block the opposing outside hitter. Place another outside hitter at left front and then randomly select the other four players.

A coach will give a 10 free balls to the the side with the outside hitter that you are testing. The points are played out. In order for the point to count, the outside hitter must get a swing. If she does not get a swing, then you must give another free ball. The goal is for the outside hitter to win as many points as possible out of the 10 free balls (that she gets a swing on)

Then simply switch out the outside hitters, keep all other players the same and repeat the process. By keeping all other players the same, you should be able to determine who really is your best hitter.

Coach Wall believes in playing the best hitter outside because she feels that unless you have a very good passing team, your hitter may be under utilized in the middle.

The clip begins with a brief discussion on when to run “quicks” and when not to.

The clip is from a presentation at Glazier Volleyball Clinic. For information about gaining access to the entire presentation, as well as hundreds of other great clinic presentations, simply click the link Glazier Volleyball Clinics

The YouTube video below has audio, so please make sure that your sound is turned up and that you have access to the site. Note that some schools block access to YouTube.