Beach volleyball is not only about skills and physical abilities (like endurance and strength). It is also about Speed and how quickly you can execute the moves to surprise the opposite team …
In this article, I breakdown some key elements that are necessary to build speed for sand volleyball, as well as some helpful drills that should stimulate your moves and make you even faster.
How important is Speed in beach volleyball?
Speed is essential for beach volleyball because the team is able to build up momentum especially during offensive sequences.
Also for defensive sequences, you can help save some points if you are quick enough, even if your timing is not on point!
Keep in mind that there is a difference between mindless speed and coordinated speed.
Indeed, coordination is often key to winning a game, while mindless speed is often a formula for disaster!
To gain speed in beach volleyball you will need to practice running, swimming and all kinds of arm workouts. Using small weights while performing some of these exercises is definitely helpful!
You can also check this article on the most important volleyball skills!
Key elements to become faster in beach volleyball.
The key elements to become faster are mainly physical, but there are some of the more technical elements that are also important when it comes to beach volleyball.
Physical elements are mainly related to leg muscles!
Leg muscles are maybe the most important part to reach the speed and explosiveness levels you are looking for.
To train your leg muscles different exercises are needed like crunches, running, sprinting and even swimming.
When it comes to your overall body speed/quickness/explosiveness, you also need to utilize a lot of different practices and many more drills. Those are practiced on regular practices and you can also do them individually.
Quick Recommendation: There are other attributes than speed that you need to consider to be an overall better player. To learn more about these attributes I invite you to check this helpful resource.
Crucial Drills to become faster in beach Volleyball …
Cone Sprinting
Cone Sprinting is a mainly outdoor practice and is tightly connected to running, but it can provide your body with the needed short bursts of high blood pressure, active lungs and intense heart beats.
So basically, you need a set of cones or anything that can make a border or end line for you, some grass or concrete.
Place the cones on a distance of about 15 to 20 meters. Start from sprinting from one set of cones to the other.
When you reach the other side, quickly reverse and start sprinting to the starting point.
This exercise helps you with the endurance you need in such short bursts of energy that are frequent in volleyball.
Before the exercise starts it is important to set a timer, let us say, 15 to 20 seconds. The goal is to beat the time, meaning that you need to be faster than those 15/20 seconds.
Foot Work Exercises …
Next we will see two drills that can provide you with more than enough trained foot work. The muscle drills are up to you, since there are many ways in which you can train them.
Both of these foot work exercises are done by utilizing an agility ladder (Like this one). The first foot work drill on this list is the step – run exercise.
- Stand in front of the ladder and start by entering the ladder with the right foot, which is followed by the left foot, in a semi running manner. Your arms should be on the opposite side of the active foot.
- It is essential to break the leg at the knee, when it is in the air, going to 90 degrees (when you start running through the ladder). Try putting both feet in the square, working your way gradually up the ladder. The goal is to put both feet in the squares in order to enhance your coordination.
- After finishing the ladder in one way, try going back, down the ladder, in the same manner as before.
The second exercise is done also on the ladder. It is somewhat different, but the goal is the same, putting your foot in every square, down and up the lane.
- For this exercise you will stand parallel to the first square (let us say on the right side), taking a stance like on the previous exercise.
- When starting the exercise, your right foot will move to the side, going into the square, while the left foot stays outside, in place.
- After putting your foot in the square, get it out as fast as you can, and then move quickly with your entire body to the next square repeating the process. The goal is basically in and out with your foot as fast and precise as you can.
- After finishing one leg, move to the next one repeating the whole process.
It is known that sand can help extensively when it comes to building your leg muscles and your overall speed. Indoor volleyball players use it during some practices, so it would be best if you practice on the sand every time you get a chance.
Volleyball quick reaction and reflexes drills …
Here we will list two different drills that can help enhance your reaction time …
Drill 1
The first drill is basically a small competition between two teams of players.
The drill is performed in the following manner. The coach will split the players in two groups/teams. He will have the ball and will set a timer.
2 players from each team will go forth and lay on their stomach in an upward pushup. The coach will then start the timer that he has already set to a number according to his will.
After starting the timer the coach will blow his whistle and the players are then required to jump up, land on their feet and expect the ball as soon as they touch the ground.
The coach will throw the ball randomly at one of the players making them go for the ball in a spiking throw, the player that misses the ball or does not perform the spike well goes behind the end line and his place is taken by another player from his team.
Drill 2
The second drill is about receiving. It can be performed with a teammate, or the entire team. Receiving is one of the most important things in volleyball, a good receiver can be a game saver.
When you play with your teammate you can do it interchangeably. For example, you will take a receiver stance and your teammate will serve the ball in any manner he sees fit, in order for you to not know where and how he is going to serve. This will also help you with your ability to read the server.
You will receive the ball or not, depending on your skills. The interchangeable part is that you can also serve the ball back to your teammate, and he can practice receiving, so this is basically a 2 in 1 practice.
The second option is for your entire team to line up, everyone with a ball in their hand. Every teammate will perform a serve and you will try to receive the balls they send towards you. This practice is beneficial because not everyone has the same serve, and practicing with different serves can help you a lot.
Is sprinting enough to help your speed for beach volleyball?
No, it is not enough. Sprinting can be, just as swimming or regular running a filler discipline. You can always practice sprinting mixed with some other disciplines to enhance your speed.
If you practice all the drills that we have already mentioned in this article, a fast build-up of your speed is almost guaranteed.
Sprinting is not enough for speed. Utilize different approaches and mix and combine different disciplines and exercises, and you will make speed your ally. Sprinting is just one of the many tools that are required for reaching sufficient levels of speed.
Finally, It is worth mentionning that it is quite hard to increase your speed by yourself. It is better to have coaches or/and partners around. BTW, you can learn about those beach volleyball skills you can learn alone.
Final Thoughts…
My main advice for beginners is not to worry too much about speed at the beginning. Indeed, when you first start practicing beach volleyball, you will have a weird feel that you are very slow …
This is totally normal!
Your body (and especially legs) needs some time to get used to the movement restrictions caused by sand. Within couple weeks you will get used to it.
Finally, I encourage you to learn those helpful tips to get better at volleyball FAST!