Contact Help center
Volleyball Volleyball
HOME Volleyball Coaching Trends SEARCH

Volleyball: hitting

hitting DRILLS
View All

Block and smash

The player with the ball throws the ball up towards the net, setting themsleves up to then try and smash the ball onto the target mat. The player on the other side of the net has to try and block the smash and stop it hitting the target.

8 Block Drills

Cross Step and Block

Push hard with the opposite side leg to the direction you want to move and on the leg for breaking put the other foot down and jump to block. Don't drift in the block, land in the same place as you take off. The feeder on the platform throws the ball up and the blocker moves to block. The blocker needs to be in front of the feeders hitting arm and penetrating the net trying to block the ball on the opponent's court. Start off easy and feed the players rhythm, as the players get more competent increase the speed and distance they have to move.

2 Warm Up

Cross Step To An Outside Blocker

Push hard with the opposite side leg to the direction you want to move, close to the outside blocker. Land on the leg for breaking, put the other foot down and jump to block, don't drift in the block, and land in the same place as you take off. The blocker on the outside gets in the correct position. The feeder on the platform throws the ball up and the blocker moves to block. The outside blocker needs to be in front of the feeders hitting arm and both blockers need to be penetrating the net trying to block the ball. Start off easy and feed the players rhythm, as the players get more competent, increase the speed and distance they have to move.

6v6

Defensive Dig

Two players; one stands with his feet apart and the other is the hitter. The hitter throws the ball up to hit to the defender, who brings his feet together then apart again dropping and timing the drop so as to be in position just prior to the hitter hitting the ball and plays defence, keeping his chest facing the hitter and playing the ball in front of his body.

1 Techniques

Grassroot serving

2 players, 1 ball. The player serving has to hit the ball over the net so that the other player can catch the ball. If they are successful 3 times in a row the player can take a step back and move closer to the back line. Once players reach the back line they can swap roles.

3 Grass roots

Hit the Ball, Grab the Ball

Player stands with the ball in non-dominant hand. They drop it down and hit with dominant hand vertically.

7 Serve Drills

Run and Strike

Rhythm hitting; a number of players take it in turns to make an approach to hit a ball fed by the coach and hit. After they have hit the ball they run around an object near the baseline of the court and then repeat.

2 Warm Up

Serve

The purpose of the serve is not just to put the ball in play but to try and score a point or to stop/change the attacking strategy of the opposition. Split stance with left foot pointing in the direction of the target. Right foot at 45 degree angle pointing to the outside. Weight on back foot. Ball in left hand on the top of the fingers at hip height in the middle of the body. Right hand relaxed in front of shoulder hitting. Eyes focus on target area.

1 Techniques

Set and Spike relay

Rhythm hitting; the coach feeds the setter to set a hitter for their partner. After they have hit the ball they run around an object near the baseline of the court and then repeat.

1 Techniques

Block and smash 8 Block Drills...

The player with the ball throws the ball up towards the net, setting themsleves up to then try and smash the ball onto the target mat. The player on the other side of the net has to try and block the smash and stop it hitting the target.

General

Hit the Ball, Grab the Ball 7 ...

Player stands with the ball in non-dominant hand. They drop it down and hit with dominant hand vertically.

General

Set And Spike 11 Spiking - Vol...

The spiker begins by setting the ball to the setter, who spikes the ball in return. The spiker now digs the ball in the air to the setter, who this time does set the ball up for the spiker to attack and hit over the net.

General

Set and Spike relay SMVT:SPIKI...

Rhythm hitting; the coach feeds the setter to set a hitter for their partner. After they have hit the ball they run around an object near the baseline of the court and then repeat.

General

Grassroot serving 3 Grass root...

2 players, 1 ball. The player serving has to hit the ball over the net so that the other player can catch the ball. If they are successful 3 times in a row the player can take a step back and move closer to the back line. Once players reach the back line they can swap roles.

General

Chest Swing Warm Up 2 Warm Up ...

Players lay down on the floor and swing on their chest, raising their arms and legs alternately.

General

Approach, Jump And Clap 11 Spi...

Players approach and jump and imitate a spike by holding the non-hitting hand up and hitting it as it it were a ball.

General

Passing and Movement 4 Passing...

Two players stand at the baseline at 1 and one player stands at the baseline at 5, a feeder feeds the ball alternating to 1 and 5 the players run from 1 to 5, side step the last two steps and pass to a target directly in front of them. Then a player runs from five to one and does the same if you have run from 5-1 then you go to the baseline at 1 and visa-versa. This drill continues for set time or number of good contacts. This drill can be fast, slow or whatever the feeder makes it, you can underhand feed or feed with a topspin hit. You can do this with two feeders feeding at the same time, however this can cause confusion but that’'s ok. Players need to be able to sort it out or give them some help and guidance by asking appropriate questions i.e. what do you do if?

General

Volleyball: Hit serve to land ...

1) in pairs the players stand on the baseline on either side of the net. 2) Players then serve from the baseline attempting to place the ball just beyond the net so it drops no further than the attack line.

General

Ball Bounce Control 4 Passing ...

Players stand in pairs with a ball between them and are required to receive the ball from high up, let it bounce, and then underhand the pass to the player opposite them who does the same.

General

Volleyball: Passing Drill Over...

One player of the pair on either side of the net.<br /><br />A set or overhead pass drill, with the players passing to each other.<br /><br />Can be used as a warm up drill.

General

Zone 1 5 Drills - Volleyball D...

Player 1 starts by serving from the base line and then enters the court. <br /><br /> He/she then runs into the correct zone (zone 1), where player 2 (standing in zone 4) hits the ball to him/her around waist high. Player 1 then has to dig up the ball, and return it to player 2 as if setting up a spike. <br /><br /> Player 1 then returns to their zone, where player 3 (from zone 2) hits the ball to them short in the middle of court. Player 1 then has to dig up the ball back to player 3. <br /><br /> Player 1 then returns back to their zone and steps two to three are repeated.

General

Catch and Throw 2 Warm Up - Vo...

Simple catch and throw game, introduction of basic tactics, throwing the ball into space on the designated court. Catch anyway you can and throw, you can't move with the ball and face the net at all times.

General

Serve VST:SERVING - Volleyball...

The purpose of the serve is not just to put the ball in play but to try and score a point or to stop/change the attacking strategy of the opposition. Split stance with left foot pointing in the direction of the target. Right foot at 45 degree angle pointing to the outside. Weight on back foot. Ball in left hand on the top of the fingers at hip height in the middle of the body. Right hand relaxed in front of shoulder hitting. Eyes focus on target area.

General

Attacking One Handed Tip 5 Dri...

The person on the side of the mats feeds the ball to the two players opposite who communicate and pass the ball to the net for the ball to be set up for an attacking one handed tip to the mat that has not been occupied by the feeder. This means that the attacking player needs to work on creating a good field of vision and observe where the feeder has moved to.

General

4 Player Passing Rotation 4 Pa...

Working in 4's with the final player throwing the ball back to the feeder under the net. Once the drill starts the setter passes the ball to a target player at the net. The net player then sets the ball for the wide player who receives it and then returns the ball ready for the drill to start again. This drill can be measured in time or good repetitions.

General

3 Player Passing Drill 4 Passi...

3 player triangular passing drill. Player 1 and Player 2 use defensive dig passes, whilst Player 3 uses the overhead pass. This can simulate player 3 setting up a teammate for a smash

General

Approach And Jump 11 Spiking -...

Players stand on the attack line facing the net. If the player is right handed, they start with a left leg step, followed by two quick right-left steps and then jump.

General

Grassroot serving VST:SERVING ...

2 players 1 ball. The player serving has to hit the ball over the net so that the other player can catch the ball. If they are successful 3 times in a row the player can take a step back and move closer to the back line. Once players reach the back line they can swap roles.

General

Knee tag 2 Warm Up - Volleybal...

Partners stand facing each other about arms distance apart, one of the partners is the tagger who tries to touch the partner on the knee the other has to avoid being tagged whilst remaining close.

General

Target practice 7 Serve Drills...

Divide court into six and challenge players to hit the area you call out.

General

Cones Cross 2 Warm Up - Volley...

Set up as shown with 5 cones on the court, with one in the middle. The player starts at the centre cone and needs to run to each cone via the centre cone.

General

Circle Passing 2 Warm Up - Vol...

Players get into groups of 5 or more and form a circle, initially working with one ball per group.The aim of this drill is for players to pass the ball around the circle using bump passes, trying to reach 20 passes without dropping the ball.

General

Throw and Catch VST:CATCH IN D...

Throw the ball in the air using two hands, move to where the ball is coming down. Bend your knees and catch the ball as low to the floor as possible whilst remaining on your feet.

General

Toss the Ball 7 Serve Drills -...

Player stands with right leg in front (if right-handed) and tosses the ball with extended arm that they serve with. The ball should rotate more and more times every consecutive toss.

General

Cross Step To An Outside Block...

Push hard with the opposite side leg to the direction you want to move, close to the outside blocker. Land on the leg for breaking, put the other foot down and jump to block, don't drift in the block, and land in the same place as you take off. The blocker on the outside gets in the correct position. The feeder on the platform throws the ball up and the blocker moves to block. The outside blocker needs to be in front of the feeders hitting arm and both blockers need to be penetrating the net trying to block the ball. Start off easy and feed the players rhythm, as the players get more competent, increase the speed and distance they have to move.

General

Unfortunately there were no results for your search! Please try again
hitting SESSIONS
View All

Keep the ball alive! Defensive Bump Session

Dig your team out of a hole and keep the point alive to set up your own attacks. This session works on your defensive plays, most importantly your digs and developing the control over them to keep the point alive.
hitting ANSWERS
View All

What is the AMOEBA drill?

Hi can anyone help me, I'm trying to find out what the AMOEBA drill is so I can use it at my next training?

Archived User Coach

How do i teach 9 and 10 year olds to serve?

how do i teach 9 and 10 year olds to serve

Archived User Coach

Volleyball newbie, please help

What is floor defense and hitting in volleyball?

Archived User Coach

spiking or hitting technique perfectly

how can the spiker rotate and swing the arm to hit the ball firmly while hitting volley ball

shaik gouse modeen Coach, India

What are some pre game warmup Drills

Would like to know different drills that teams use for their warmup drills for 6 min. Also what players do to get loose before starting warm ups. Beside beating volleyball in the floor.

Michael Taylor Coach, United States of America

Defense positioning.

Has anyone heard of middle middle 2 by 2 defense? If yes, do you like it?Thanks.

Steve Batten Coach, Canada

How do I teach college student...

I have to teach college students in 2 weeks how to play volleyball from the beginning to non-players, so starting off with how to serve and did and I have to do a powerpoint on it, and I was wondering if there was someone out there who would offer me some information and I would be so grateful... Ash xo

Archived User Coach

Working with short players... ...

Just wondered if anyone has any tips for working with short players (they can't get their hands over the net) - especially when the opposition is attacking. I am used to playing in a men's team with at least two blockers, but now coaching the girls U17 team and it dawned on me that they can't reach over the net...My middle hitter is usually tall enough, but none of the others on the front line are.

Archived User Coach

How do i teach 9 and 10 year o...

how do i teach 9 and 10 year olds to serve

Archived User Coach

What are some pre game warmup ...

Would like to know different drills that teams use for their warmup drills for 6 min. Also what players do to get loose before starting warm ups. Beside beating volleyball in the floor.

Michael Taylor Coach, United States of America
hitting COMMUNITY DRILLS
View All

Hitting with targets

Autosave 74592505

Autosave 37544220

Butterfly

3-man defensive

Autosave 34237223

Hitting transition from defense

Serve and Run

Autosave 6399144

Hitting Lines

JOIN SPORTPLAN FOR FREE

  • search our library of 300+ volleyball drills
  • create your own professional coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested plans
LATEST COACHING TRENDS
Libero Mastery: Defensive Specialist Training for the Modern Game

Libero Mastery: Defensive Specialist Training for the Modern Game

The libero position has never been more important. Here's how to develop elite defensive specialists who transform your team's back-court play.

March 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
Training Players to Read: Developing Volleyball Game Intelligence

Training Players to Read: Developing Volleyball Game Intelligence

Move from reactive to proactive with drills that build anticipation. The best players know what's coming before it happens.

February 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
6 Things Changing Volleyball in 2026

6 Things Changing Volleyball in 2026

FIVB's Strategic Vision 2032 is driving major changes: rule modernization, competition expansion, and coaching requirements that will reshape the sport. Here's what's coming.

January 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
VIEW ALL COACHING TRENDS
Volleyball POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
spikingdigdefensediggingwarm upvolleydrillsserve receiveservingbasketballservespikeserving drillunderhand servesettingblockingpassingdiving

What our users have been saying...

Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.

I've found this resource invaluable and of huge benefit to both my players and myself. Thanks for helping me to improve my coaching.

Kashif Pakistan

Very useful format and descriptions of drills. I am using Sportplan to update and formalise my trainings.

Tony Miller Australia

As a brand new coach I have found the drills to be of amazing help.

Joan De Petra New Zealand

Wow what a great website, I have found sportplan an important tool for me when planning my netball sessions with my netball team. There are alot of very helpful tips/ideas/skills that I can learn and teach to my team. Thank you sportplan I hope to continue to use your helpful tips and to learn more about improving my teams netball skills. Thanks again....keep it up....

Monique New Zealand

I have been using Sportplan now for 3 years and can honestly say that I have never repeated the same session twice. My girls are always focused and are improving every year. Thanks Sportplan.

Debbie Cross Australia

What a fantastic tool. The Chalkboard and session tools make an unbelievable difference in making training plans in both time and organization. I will be instructing all of my assistant coaches that this tool must be used for all sessions during the season, so that we may build a club coaching resource library.

Wes Campbell Rugby Coach Canada

I can't get enough of the Sportplan, It has given me back the enthusiasm i was starting to lose. My girls are so keen and are ready at 14 to take the next up in their game. Sportplan will help no end.

Cornel Basketball Coach, South Africa

SIGN UP NOW FOR FREE

  • search our library of 300+ volleyball drills
  • create professional volleyball coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested volleyball plans

Sportplan App

Give it a try - it's better in the app

SPORTPLAN USES COOKIES

Sportspeople like cookies too! By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More info

Privacy Policy
We are committed to privacy and support current industry initiatives to preserve individual privacy rights on the Internet. Protecting your privacy on-line is an evolving area and this website will constantly evolve to meet these demands.


Cookies
Some of our web pages utilise "cookies". A "cookie" is a small text file that may be used, forexample, to collect information about web site activity. Some cookies and other technologies may serve to recallPersonal Information previously indicated by a web user. Most browsers allow you to control cookies, includingwhether or not to accept them and how to remove them.

Some cookies are necessary for the operation of our website, if you choose to block them some aspects of the site may not work for you. Non necessary cookies are only set when you have given your explicit consent to their use. Such cookies included those set by our statistics package Google Analytics.

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.

More info
Volleyball POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
basketball blocking cool down defense dig digging drill drills handball hitting drills passing passing drills search serve serving serving drill set setting setting drills smash spike spike drills spiking underarm serve underhand serve volley volleyball volleyball warm up warm up lesson 2
YOUR SESSION IS STARTING SOON... Join the growing community of volleyball coaches plus 300+ drills and pro tools to make coaching easy.
LET'S DO IT