My high school coach used to say, “A team is only as good as its worst pass.” Those words echoed in my mind during every practice, pushing me to refine this fundamental skill. It paid off in our state championship when a seemingly impossible dig turned the tide of the final set, leading us to victory. That moment cemented my belief in the power of solid passing.
As I transitioned from player to coach, I saw passing skills make or break teams. I’ve watched talented hitters struggle because of poor ball control, and I’ve seen average teams become formidable opponents through relentless passing practice. It became clear that passing isn’t just a skill – it’s the foundation upon which all other volleyball skills are built.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to grasp the basics or an experienced player aiming to elevate your game, mastering passing drills is crucial.
In this guide, we’ll explore nine game-changing drills that will sharpen your accuracy, boost your reaction time, and transform you into a passing powerhouse. Get ready to become the player every setter dreams of having on their team!
Everything You Need to Know About Passing Drills
When it comes to volleyball, passing is the bread and butter of the game. Whether you’re just getting started or have been around the court a few times like me, perfecting your passing drills is key to stepping up your game.
A strong, accurate pass can shift the momentum of a match, turning defense into offense in an instant. Actionable passing drills will help you get better at the game and be the go-to passer of the team.
This is a volleyball passing drill-complete guide to start practicing your passing moves. I’ll tell you what works for the drills and how you should approach them.
9 Drills to Better Your Passing Moves
If you want to be someone who sets the tone for the strikers and makes the game easy for everyone in your team, sharpen your passing skills. Let me tell you some important drills right away:
Drill 1: Triangle Passing Drill
Triangle drills are the first few practice forms you’ll come across in any volleyball passing drills-complete guide. This is one of the simplest but most effective one to improve your communication and movements.
You’ll need a partner or a coach and three players for this practice.
How to do it:
- Set your positions first. One player is in front of the net, and two players are on the sides of the net.
- As the coach/partner serves the ball to one of you three, the receiving player taking up the serve should pass it to the one standing opposite in the triangle you formed.
- The third player in the formation will then pass the ball back to the one who initially received the serve.
- This passing sequence then goes on, but with each rotation, you change the position of the volleyball players.
Drill 2: Partner Passing Drill
You’ll be practicing this drill to have better passing consistency and accuracy with your fellow teammates. This will prepare you to study and observe the critical and tactical moves of your teammates. Such coordination will improve your team’s game in matches. You must seek feedback from your practice partner, too.
You just need two players to do this exercise.
How to do it:
- Two of you should be standing on the opposite sides of the net facing the net.
- Either you or your partner can start the rounds by serving the ball.
- The receiving partner should get the ball and pass it to the other player.
- The goal is to keep repeating this sequence while maintaining accuracy and keeping the sequence intact.
- After each set of passing, switch the roles so that each of you can serve and receive.
Drill 3: Wall-Drill
This comes in handy when you don’t have a dedicated partner to get your passes right. You can do this both outdoors and indoors. A wall passing drill helps you practice great ball control and ensures proper posture for a pass.
How to do it:
- Stand facing the wall and keep your feet shoulder-width away from each other.
- Stretch your arms in front towards the wall.
- Throw the ball to the wall, aiming at a height equivalent to chest height.
- Focus on your passing position to pass the ball after it rebounds from the wall.
- Repeat this to practice a consistent rhythm and to improve your accuracy.
- Alternate sets of forearm passes and hand passes are used to build a memory of different pass types.
- As you grow better with a basic wall passing drill, switch it up by throwing and passing the ball from different angles.
Drill 4: Pepper Drill
This is a more fun and exciting way of practicing passing drills, which will improve your team’s reaction time and improve communication.
How to do it:
- Divide the number of players into groups of three.
- One player starts by passing the ball to the next player, who then sets it for the third player.
- The third player then hits the ball back to the first.
- Now, the first player will set the ball for the second player, and the second player will play the hit or spike.
- This pattern will be followed through the practice session.
- Your goal will be to track and improve the rhythm, timing, and coordination of passes.
Drill 5: Bounce Pass Drills
This is one of the popular passing drills that can help you improve your reaction time and accuracy against balls at different angles.
How to do it:
- Divide the participants into groups of 2 to 3 players.
- The first player will hit the ball to the ground and bounce back towards their partners.
- The receiving person will then pass the ball back to the first player.
- Once you start getting better at this, you can get to advanced versions, such as increasing the distance between players.
- The advanced version of this drill can also include a heavier ball than you used.
- You can switch your positions, with each other to practice all-important volleyball moves.
Drill 6: Spider Drill
If you are a beginner, this can be a go-to drill for you while aspiring to have better timing, position, and accuracy in passing.
- Make two teams out of all the players you have, and they should be on opposite courts.
- One team starts by serving the ball.
- The receiving team players will be doing a back-and-forth serving but with only three contacts.
- Before passing the ball to the next player, it should pass under each player’s legs.
- Post passing under the legs, you can then play at a waist level.
- This trains your focus and timing as you need to keep the ball from dropping down.
- Complete a set and reshuffle positions and teams.
Drill 7: One-on-one Drill
This drill is like a proper simulation of a real-life match. So, I’d recommend this mainly for volleyball beginners.
How do you do it?
- Players should be in pairs, with each standing on the opposite sides of the net.
- One of the players will throw an underhand toss or will serve the ball.
- The receiving player will pass the ball and send it toward the first player.
- This first player in turn will now set the ball for the partner on the same court and the spiker hits it off.
- Focus on building your focus, teamwork, and accuracy through this frill.
- Switch the roles after you complete a complete set that has been assigned.
Drill 8: Pass and Move Drill
Try to start this drill once you are familiar with the basics. This drill helps you pass best while you are moving and doing the footwork on the court. You will need to pass the ball to your practice player or team while you’re moving in the court.
This power-packed practice also improves team communication and compatibility.
How to do it:
- Make groups of 4-5 players for this.
- Make a line on one of the sides of a court to start this.
- This first player, in turn, will now set the ball for the partner on the same court, and the spiker hits it off.
- The second passes to the third and takes up the previous spot of the first player.
- The third player will then pass to the fourth and move to the spot vacated by the second player.
- This sequence continues, and the players move around the court in the same order.
- After you get the basics, start experimenting with the speed and number of hits before passing the ball.
- Ask every team player to communicate to practice coordination and accuracy of moves.
Drill 9: Two-Ball Passing
This drill is of a challenging sort. It helps you increase your reaction time. You will need two balls and at least four players for this. Player number can be increased as you increase the intensity of practice.
How to do it:
- You and the other three players need to stand in a circle or a square.
- Use a forearm pass to toss the ball toward another player. This is called a bump pass.
- As soon as you throw the first ball, throw the second one to another player.
- Players pass these two balls as quickly as possible.
- You must focus on quick reactions and proper position to maintain ball control.
Wrapping Up
Passing is at the heart of every volleyball play. Whether you’re aiming to lead the game or just not drop the ball, the more you practice these drills, the sharper your instincts become. It’s like setting your team up for a win before the attack even happens.
So, here’s my advice. Don’t overthink it; just get out there and start practicing. Use this volleyball passing drills-Complete guide to plan your practice. The sooner you get those reps in, the sooner you’ll feel the difference on the court.
FAQs
What should I focus on when passing in a live game?
I’d say you can’t do many new movements in a live game other than exceptions. Your mind and muscles should be trained to look at a few factors when preparing to pass in a live game.
You should be able to gauge the speed of the ball, how it is thrown, and when it’s thrown. Also, you must be good at observing players’ patterns, strengths, and weaknesses in teams.
How can I improve my footwork for better passing?
You can work on your footwork movements to get better at passing. Pass and move drills that I’ve mentioned in this guide will help to build muscle memory for the game. You can do other exercises that focus on areas like flexibility and strength of your ankle, calf muscles, and feet.
What’s the best way to handle fast or difficult serves when passing?
Quick reactions and fast positioning plus movement will be your key assets against fast and powerful strikes. Some important tips are to keep a strong platform and try cushioning your ball, but don’t deflect.
Practice the wall drills and increase the intensity according to your expertise to have practice against high speed.