It is easy for a coach to devise volleyball drills to simulate the basic movements required for a hit. Throw the ball into the air and have a player hit it and they’ll know the basic moves associated with spiking. The same is true for any type of hit. However, in a game, the ball will not be thrown to one spot at a time for a player to hit. There are a number of ways you can modify volleyball drills to simulate real games, and that will help your players feel more comfortable when it’s time to play.
There are many pass, set and spike volleyball drills that have been used since the sport began. However, in a real game, nothing is as predictable as in a simulation. To simulate this game, you can have the team form into groups of 6, 3 on each side of the net. The two teams will essentially play a small game of volleyball. Have a server pull the ball over the net and have the receiving players pass the ball to the setter, who will place the ball on the attacker, who in turn throws the ball over the net. The other team should do the same. Once both teams have hit the ball over the net, have the second team begin serving. Turn the serve this way a couple of times to get the players loosening up and ready for the actual game. As you can see, this combines several different types of volleyball drills into one great workout.
Another set of volleyball drills is the precision hit, both passing and setting. The coach throws the ball to a player who must then pass or lay the ball to a target player. A great way to help with real game simulation is to have two groups of two players, one on each side of the net. The first player throws the ball, the receiver must then pass or place the ball on the goal. Once the goal has the ball, the passer moves into place, the goal runs towards the service line and returns the ball over the net. Adding this to your volleyball drill set is a great way to quickly warm up your team before games. They run back and forth from server / receiving / target positions while keeping the ball moving as much as possible.
Not all volleyball drills need to simulate a game and still give players that sense of randomness. This drill is perfect for teaching players to be flexible and move to get their body in the best place in line with the ball. Have your team pair up and play one on one. The trick is to make the court size narrow but long. They should continue to play by the basic rules, such as no crossovers, but they only need to make one hit to get the ball back over the net. This is a great way for your players to learn to hit the ball from different angles, from the front or even from the side and still maintain control of the ball. This teaches the things that the most common volleyball drills teach, but gives the realism of playing with another player, with its randomness, to give a real sense of the game.
Traditional volleyball drills are great for preparing your players for the movements required of any particular game. Modifying the same volleyball drills into something that can be more realistic in the game will help your players get into the game mindset. Knowing the correct way to pass the ball is important, knowing how to pass the ball from a possible deadly peak will take your team to greater heights than they could possibly imagine.