Diving is a valuable skill in volleyball. While diving should not be a substitute for moving to the ball and getting in the proper position, there is not always sufficient time to do so. Diving allows for the effective digging of balls that would ordinarily be out of reach. For that reason, diving should be a part of every player's repertoire.
Proper technique is crucial both for the effectiveness of the dig and for the safety of the player. Acquiring proper technique will take practice and can feel awkward at first. However, after some time, diving will feel very natural and fluid.
The following drill can be done as a team or individually to practice proper technique.
The Drill
- Players start on the end-line, low and ready to move.
- Players run to the ten foot line. Players should run at 75 percent maximum effort so as to focus on their technique while diving.
- Just before reaching the ten foot line, each player will perform a dive, focusing on their technique.
- Upon completion of the dive, each player will immediately recover and run back to the end-line.
- Just before reaching the end-line, players will perform another dive.
- Players will recover again and run to the ten foot line on the opposite side of the court from the starting point, performing a dive.
- The drill continues on in this fashion with players performing a dive at each line, according to the sequence shown in Figure 1. A total of six dives should be performed for each set.
- Rest between sets.
