Sadly, volleyball is one of the few sports that one can perform alone. It isn’t the same as shooting a basketball or football. It usually requires more than one person in order to have any sort of “play”.
There are however things you can do at home to improve your body awareness and your relationship with the volleyball. Access to a net is not possible for many people, but usually, you can find a wall or an empty space to get some sort of repetition in. My suggestions for creating body awareness and developing comfortability with a volleyball at home are as follows:
Play volleyball by yourself
Playing more sports and a variety of them will help your overall fitness as well as body awareness. Volleyball is usually a sport that is taken up later in adolescence than any other sport – the reason? Volleyball requires a lot of coordination. It is not a “hands-on” sport. There are very few moments in volleyball in which you are in total control of the ball. The first one is serving and the second is setting. Setting still requires a fast change of direction on the ball and limited time touching it to do so. Setting to yourself can be done just about anywhere!
Best solo volleyball drill
Playing with the wall
One of the basic exercises is playing with the wall. The goal of this exercise is to make as many repetitions as you can. Use the fingers and forearm bump set; use them both and try to make combinations. You can even spike into the wall.
One of the best combinations with wall volleyball drills is to spike into the wall; when the ball returns, make a bump or finger pass over your head, set the ball again, and repeat.
Other sports you can practice at home, that are great for volleyball
The more sports you play the better it is for your overall athleticism. Soccer (football) is much more running than volleyball and therefore conditions the body better. Basketball requires dynamic movements and changes of direction which also translate well for volleyball. Increasing coordination and conditioning outside of volleyball create cross-training which is very useful for the sport. This is not an “at home” drill, but rather time spent away from volleyball.
The more sports you play the better it is for your overall athleticism. Soccer (football) is much more running than volleyball and therefore conditions the body better. Basketball requires dynamic movements and changes of direction which also translate well for volleyball. Increasing coordination and conditioning outside of volleyball create cross-training which is very useful for the sport. This is not an “at home” drill, but rather time spent away from volleyball.
Practice volleyball at home using one hand
Next, try unconventional touches. A great way to spend ten to fifteen minutes of your day is rallying to yourself at home. See how many times you can touch the ball to keep it off the ground. Be sure to try several parts of your arms and even with one arm at a time. Getting familiar with the locations of successful touches will ultimately help you when you get team practice time.
There are plenty of opportunities to play volleyball with one hand or arm. Building your confidence with coordination and familiarity can turn those touches into successful ones in times of need for your team!
Train coordination which plays a big role in volleyball
The final suggestion is to simply spend more time developing your overall coordination. Speed and agility drills take very little time and can be added to every workout. There are plenty of online tools to help you train your reaction times. Try drills with tennis balls, weighted balls, balance boards, ladders, and many many more.
Strength training
Also check out article about Strength & Conditioning to see suggestions for maintaining a healthy body, powerful jump, and overall improvement on the court through strength training. Note that there is a difference between being strong, and being coordinated.
Conclusion
That will be all regarding practising volleyball at home. Remember, even if you practice volleyball in a team, making additional repetitions at home can make a big difference later in your career. Playing by yourself, using one arm, doing wall drills, and even some strength and conditioning exercises will make you better than other players who don’t do as much work. And Trust the process!
FAQ
The best exercise to train volleyball at home is getting reps with the various wall drills. With lots of repetitions, muscles will memorize every touch with the ball. With time your overall volleyball skills will get better.
The best workout for a volleyball player is box jumps. Box jumps will help with explosiveness, and you can jump higher. Combining it with the squat will lead to even better results. That is how it is also done on a professional level.
You can! All you need is the volleyball and wall or a buddy. Start with the basics, and learn how to pass the ball and how to set the ball. Use both fingers and forearms. Play with your friend in pairs, try different drills (Wall drills), and then you can slowly translate on the real volleyball court with more players.
