A Volleyball net is a crucial part of the game as it separates the 2 opposite teams and marks the territory of each one. Obviously, training with a net is what you should do most of the time …
However, sometimes it is recommended to practice a set of drills without a net to be able to focus solely on some specific skills that you can implement later in actual games with a net.
It is also a great idea to learn about these drills in case you don’t have a volley net amongst your gear!
In this article, I breakdown exactly the drills you can do without the need of net.
What you should have to train volleyball without a net?
The starting point is obviously a volleyball. A good volleyball can last for years, and will normally either be made of real or synthetic leather (these tend to be lighter, and are more suitable for junior players).
It should weigh between 9 and 10 ounces, and have a circumference anywhere between 25.6 and 26.4 inches.
This volleyball ball is a good example.
It is important to choose the right footwear when playing volleyball. They need to be lightweight, because the sport involves a lot of running, but they also need to offer good shock absorption around the toes.
Volleyball shoes also allow for better lateral movement than those used for running or cross-training.
You can have a look at my favorite volley shoes.
Players, especially beginners and children, may want to consider knee pads. These help protect the knees from falls, slides, and dives, and will typically be made of foam and other padding which helps safeguard the patellas from damage.
One piece of equipment to be considered is a Volleyball Rebounder – it features a volleyball attached to an adjustable elastic cord, which is attached to a belt which goes around a player’s waist.
This is an ideal piece of kit for beginners as it helps teach how to hit the ball, without having to spend hours chasing after it. It can be sued to help improve serving technique, as well as setting and spiking.
4 Volleyball Drills Without a Net …
Passing Drills
Passing is arguably the most basic skill that you need to master and it can be done without a net, and even without any other person involved. All you need is the ball and an outside wall or side of a garage.
Players should attempt initially to pass the ball off the side of the garage and then aim to return the ball 10 times without allowing it to bounce on the ground.
To increase the difficulty, a box can be marked on the wall with chalk and the player should try to land the ball as accurately as they can within the diameters of the box.
Another way to get more out of this drill is to gradually increase the distance from the wall.
Partner Drills
Those fortunate to have somebody to practice with, either at home or in a public area like a park, can also spend time working on their passing between each other.
All different kinds of passing should be attempted, beginning with the two players standing facing each other, and then gradually getting further apart. Every time the intention should be to successfully pass the ball to each other without the ball hitting the ground.
Then, to make things more difficult the type of pass provided should vary, from, high lofty deliveries, to lower, faster ones…
This will help improve reactions and also helps individuals learn how to control the ball.
Keep in mind that, this drill is for all levels – from beginners to advanced!
Setting Drills
Another drill that can be done without a net, and that just needs a ball are those that practice setting.
For example, at the most basic level, all that is needed is a ball, and, either an outdoor space, or somewhere with sufficiently high ceilings.
The execution of the drill is simple. Just practice setting by striking the ball and then running to where the ball lands and playing it again before it strikes the ground.
This helps improve both setting and passing skills, and also allows a player to work on their speed and reaction times.
And, to help build arm strength, a player can lie on their backs and set the ball in the air, attempting to playing it as it falls again to work on their ball control.
Expert players may want to allow the ball to bounce, and roll over on their backs first in a bid to disorientate themselves, this allows them to work on their reflexes and coordination as well.
A variation on this is a wall set, which involves standing several feet away from the wall. The point of this exercise is to improve the control of the ball by making sure that it does not strike the wall at any point.
Alternatively, the ball can be allowed to strike the wall, in which case the focus of the drill should be on reaction speeds and playing the ball, wherever the rebound might land.
Setting can also be practiced with the help of other people. One well-known exercise is sometimes known as the “piggy-in-the middle drill”.
In this drill three players stand in a line, with the setter in the middle of two passes…
The first passer bumps the ball to the setter, who then to return it to the passer. The exercise is repeated, except this time the setter bumps the ball on to the second passer and then gets the return.
The three players should then vary the routine between them!
The advantage of this drill is that it helps teach both passing and setting skills, so the players should alternate positions from time to time.
Blocking
Blocking can be practiced without a net by jumping up from a slightly crouched position and trying to touch a designed spot on a wall, such as an outside guttering, or a skirting board.
This exercise helps:
- Getting explosive power into the movement
- Stretching as high as possible,
- Working on the footwork
Those are the ingredients of producing even more blocks in a game situation.
Blocking involves coordination with others that’s why it is always a great idea to practice with a partner (or two). Line up as if standing in the front-line of a volleyball court, and at the signal from one, practice leaping up together so as to form a coordinated block.
Can you practice those drills at home?
This depends in a large part on the type of house or apartment in which you live! Somebody who has access to a garden or an outside space with a wall is at an advantage to somebody who lives in a small apartment, with narrow ceilings.
For example, any of the drills that involve one or more other people is probably best left for the public park, or for those with access to a garden.
There may just not be space to accommodate them all in one room, irrespective of whether the furnishings and design of the interior space facilitate this.
And while balls involving just a player and a ball, such as those outlined for practicing passing and setting, could theoretically be carried out in an apartment, the ceilings would have to be high enough, and care taken to ensure that precious objects were kept out of harm’s way.
Similarly, while blocking jumps can be done inside, not only care should be taken to ensure there is sufficient space for them to land properly, without the risk of them crashing into something that could be valuable, or is easily broken.
Some moves you just can’t train without a net!
One skill that is difficult to train for without a net is spiking or hitting the ball …
In simple terms a spike is the means to send the ball over the net to ensure that it cannot be returned by the opponents …
Ball striking can be practiced without a net, But that is just one part of a successful spike. It begins with the footwork, and the way a player approaches the net…
Then they need to get the timing of the leap just right, and the rotation of the shoulders as they move into the striking position.
Serving is another move where the presence of the net makes all the difference …
Again, ball serving techniques can be practiced without having necessarily a net around, but the key to a top serve is first that it should clear the net, and secondly, that it should so do in a way – whether this be due to accuracy, power, spin, or a combination of some, or all, of these elements, that makes it difficult to return.
Finally, for people who insist to do so, I’ve put together those 2 articles:
Final Thoughts …
Obviously the purpose of this article was to help you train for a sport like volleyball without necessarily a net or even a court …
But (to be honest) my main goal was to give you little excuse to not practice volleyball due to a lack of gear.
The idea is that you can practice volleyball regardless of how little gear you have and even if you don’t have access to an actual court.
You can also learn about some helpful volleyball drills you can do alone with a net!