Quicksets with Kenzie: Ways to Improve

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence."
--Calvin Coolidge


So you didn't make a club team. Well, all isn't lost. And even if you
did make a team, here are some tips to help you improve your game
when you're off the court.

1) Set a volleyball against a wall, always aiming at the same spot on the wall. Focus on the follow-though and try to set consistently at many different spots (high, low, left, right, etc.) to improve ball control. The same goes for passing.

2) Set a ball in the air over and over at the same height. This improves ball control. To work on wrist strength, see my article on using a weighted ball while you watch your favorite show.
Quicksets with Kenzie: A sand filled volleyball

3) Watch game film, anywhere you can. Watch your games, beach volleyball, college, and Olympics volleyball on TV. Record the games so you can watch good plays in slow motion while focusing on your position.

4) Find small pockets of time to simply bump. I used to carpool with another family. The other family drove mornings, so I would bump a volleyball for 15 minutes every morning with my dad while waiting for a ride.

5) Visualize. Ask any great player or great coach; they'll tell you to visualize. Check out a mental imagery article with Kerri Walsh...Mental Imagery

6) Buy volleyball training DVDs and watch those. Be sure you have a volleyball handy and a bit of room to practice the new techniques.

7) Check out volleyball devices and tools to help with training. There are some devices you can buy, for example, an elastic cord to that you attach to a volleyball, and you hit the ball without having to chase it. This mostly works on your snap.

Here are just some suggestions, but if you do these in the off-season, you'll become a much better player, even if you aren't playing on a club team.

And remember, hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

Kenzie Aries