Volleyball is not only about how skillful you are or how well you are in shape. It is also, and even mostly about the level of coordination you have with yourself and with your teammates …
Indeed, teams that come up victorious and those that demonstrate high level of coordination!
In this article, I breakdown what it takes to improve your coordination in a way to help your team’s success!
What does coordination mean in volleyball?
In volleyball, coordination is the ability to carry out complicated and coordinated movements in a complex and usually unexpectedly changing situation…
Developing coordination is a process that can take years of exposure to training with both versatility and diversity.
In volleyball coordination is crucial! Without it, there is no chance to get to the ball, play it where you want, or attack the ball in a single jump and make it go over the net.
Quick Recommendation: Coordination is not the only attribute that needs to be improved. There is a list of other important attributes that you need to know about and improve. That’s why I highly recommend you check this Helpful Resource that breakdown all of them in details.
Volleyball is a complex sport when it comes to mastering the techniques. It takes a long time before you develop good control and are able to handle the ball the way you want.
Players must develop the proper coordination between throwing, jumping, running, and passing. As it is, when you play a team sport, the importance of coordination goes up even more …
Unless there is a high level of coordination between the players, it is almost impossible to win a game (regardless of how skillful you are).
Coordination ensures that the steps you take, such as passing and jumping, can be done easily without a second thought, without confusion, and in a speedy manner.
Important drills to improve overall coordination …
There are several drills you can practice to improve your overall coordination …
Balloon or Ball Toss
You should try to catch and bump a balloon back and forth using your hands, head, and any other body part.
Since the balloon floats slowly, you will be able to change the angles to make the exercise a bit unpredictable.
If you are working with a partner, you can try facing different directions or standing further apart to increase the difficulty level.
If you don’t have a balloon, you can use a small ball like a tennis or even a table tennis ball that allows you to increase the speed.
You can switch up the angles, speeds, and throwing patterns as you toss the ball back and forth with your partner or against a wall if you are alone.
These coordination drills help rehearse the manner in which you think and react to quickly to the variations.
If you are doing the drill alone, you can do the ball toss from different orientations, including in a squat, while lying on your back, or in lunge positions.
This adds mobility to your coordination training, increases your balance, and also decreases the risk of injury.
Jump Rope
Jumping rope is perhaps the most classic coordination exercise to synchronize your hand-eye-foot movements.
Begin the drill by hopping from one foot to the other or just by running in place. Gradually progress and increase the challenge level by doing a criss-cross jump, two-foot hops, and a faster speed once you develop a rhythm.
Jumping rope is not only a great drill to improve your hand-eye coordination, but it also works on your foot speed, teaching to how to maintain rhythm and control, which are very essential for volleyball players.
Coordination with Balance Exercises
An important part of your coordination training is balance. Mastering the ability to perform static movements helps you perform a wide range of activities, including squatting, pressing overhead, and walking, all of which are again essential skills in volleyball.
Here are the steps:
- Start the drill by standing on both feet.
- Now slowly lift up one leg as high as your hip to make a 90-degree angle.
- You will start to feel shaky, but try to maintain the position for as long as possible.
- The longer you are able to maintain your balance, the better you will get at improving your coordination.
To increase the challenge level, hold a dumbbell in each hand as you shift your weight to one leg and then the other.
So when you raise one foot off the ground, press the weights in your opposite hand overhead. Try to get in at least 10 to 12 reps before you switch to the other leg.
How can you increase your arm coordination?
Juggling
Juggling is a great drill to practice if you want to improve arm coordination. Juggling also helps your eyes keep track of multiple objects at the same time.
This skill can help you immensely when you are out on the volleyball court as you can keep your head on a swivel as you keep track of the movements of the opposing team and your own teammates.
If you are new to juggling, it is best to only begin with two tennis balls, and then once you feel comfortable, you can slowly work your way up in quantity.
Game of Catch
For those who find it difficult to juggle, playing a simple game of catch can also be a great way to improve your arm coordination.
It may seem like a basic exercise, but it is an excellent and easy way to develop your coordination skills. If you don’t have a practice, you can even toss a ball against the wall and practice catching.
If you have a partner, you can practice tossing a volleyball or any other ball back and forth. Varying and switching up the style of passes will add a bit of a challenge to the drill.
How can you improve hand-eye coordination in volleyball?
Juggling and Dribbling
These activities may look simple, but juggling and dribbling are excellent hand-eye coordination drills that help you build your control, timing, and rhythm – all essential skills for playing volleyball.
Again, as mentioned above, when you start juggling, just begin with two balls and motion in slow circles.
You can add a third ball once you find your pace and get comfortable. If you are not fully focused, adding a third ball can make you lose your rhythm and speed.
In the same way, dribbling will train you to focus on the ball, maintain your speed and also keep the right angles. You can try out many options here.
Consider dribbling with one hand, with two hands back and forth at various speeds, further or closer to the ground, and any other tricks you know of. Dribbling no doubt requires a good amount of practice and time, this coordination exercise helps you improve your hand-eye movements.
Target Exercises
Another staple drill for building hand-eye coordination is target practice. This task focuses on aiming and throwing a target. Begin by standing close to a target and hitting it with a volleyball accurately. You can slowly progress further by moving away from the target.
You can also try to aim at your targets from different angles instead of in a straight line or by standing right in front.
Volleyball positions that require coordination the most?
Setter
The player who is the setter is the main contributor to the offense of the volleyball team. The setter needs to have a delicate touch to set the ball perfectly for one of the attacking players.
This requires good hand-to-eye coordination, arm coordination, and coordination with the other teammates.
Without the setter, there wouldn’t be any technical ball movement or hard spikes. Due to this, it is very important for the setter to be well coordinated in every field.
Outside Hitter
The outside hitter in volleyball is the lead attacker in the offensive strategy. To be a good outside hitter, you have to be able to jump high, be quick on your feet, and be ready to adapt to different situations in the nick of time.
Speed and reaction time is of great value for an outside hitter, and these can be built up through better coordination. The ability to change direction in a split second in accordance with the direction of the ball is equally important.
This again requires coordination. Hand to eye to foot coordination is very necessary for players in this position.
Opposite Hitter
These players need a perfect balance of both defense and offense. They get many chances to hit the volleyball, and jumping ability is critical for them. Being able to receive the serve from the opposing team is a big requirement of this position.
This requires good hand-to-eye coordination, as well as coordination with the rest of the team.
What causes poor coordination?
One of the biggest causes of poor coordination in volleyball is lack of trust and practice between the players.
If the players do not have sufficient practice time with each other, the level of coordination and trust will not be present and the team will suffer as a result of this.
How can you test your coordination?
First of all, keep in mind that coordination is important for coaches in volleyball tryouts …
In addition, it is possible to check your level of coordination through a variety of tests. One of the most popularly used tests to check for hand-eye coordination is known as the Alternate-Hand Wall-Toss test.
In this test, the participant throws a ball against a wall from one hand in an underarm action and tries to catch it with the opposite hand.
The purpose of the test is to measure hand-to-eye coordination.
Equipment needed for the test:
- Baseball or tennis ball
- Smooth and solid wall
- Marking tap
- Stopwatch (optional)
Test procedure:
- Place a mark at a certain distance from the wall, for example, two meters or three feet.
- Stand behind the line and face the wall.
- Now throw the ball from one hand in an underarm action against the wall and attempt to catch it with the opposite hand.
- Then throw the ball back against the wall and catch it with the first hand you used.
The test can continue for a pre-decided number of attempts or for a set time period like 30 seconds.
- If you are able to get over 35 successful catches within 30 seconds, your coordination is considered to be excellent.
- If you get between 30 to 35 catches, your coordination is good.
- The average level of coordination is if you have 20 to 29 catches.
- Fair coordination – 15 to 19 catches
- You have poor coordination if you get 15 or fewer catches.
This is one of the easiest coordination tests to carry out without needing a lot of costly equipment.
Final Thoughts …
After reading this article, I do honestly believe that you belong to the 5% Club. In other words, only 5% of all volleyball players are really aware of the importance of coordination in the sport!
Most of them focus more on the skills, power and overall physical attributes. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with that. But the mistake they usually tend make is they don’t even realize how important coordination is for a the success of any volleyball team!