Approach and hitting lines

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Volleyball drill · Age 11 and up

Young hitters hit the ball where their run is taking them, which is usually into the block or the net. A good approach fixes that: start outside the court, curve in, and arrive behind the ball with the whole court in front of you. This drill builds the four-step approach and then gives the hitter two lines to aim at, the line and the cross court, with a blocker who takes one away.

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Time
15 minutes
Players
A line of hitters, a setter, a coach to toss, a blocker and a digger
Equipment
  • 10 balls and a cart
  • Two cones or a towel in each back corner of the far court as targets
  • A box or a step for the blocker if your players are short

Setup

  1. The setter (S) stands at the target, a metre off the net and 6 metres from the left sideline. The coach (C) tosses from about 4.5 metres back.
  2. The outside hitter (OH) starts at the left sideline, 4 metres back from the net. The canvas draws them just inside the line; in the drill they start a step outside it.
  3. Across the net, their opposite (OPP) blocks on the line, and their defensive specialist (DS) defends deep in their zone 5, on the right of the court as we look across.
  4. The coach tosses to the setter. The OH approaches in a curve, the blocker closes the line, and the setter sets high to the left antenna.
  5. The OH hits cross court past the block, at the DS. Then the next hitter goes.

Coaching points

  • Start the approach outside the court, so the curve brings you in behind the ball and facing across the court.
  • Slow first steps, fast last two. The last two steps, right then left for a right-hander, are the ones that turn running into jumping.
  • Both arms back and then high. Contact the ball at full reach, in front of the hitting shoulder.
  • Look at the block before you hit. If they take the line, hit cross court; if they take the cross court, hit the line.

On the run sheet: Start outside the court, slow then fast, last two steps big. Swing high and hit the line the blocker gives you

Progressions

  1. The blocker chooses line or cross court on each ball, and the hitter has to see which.
  2. Score it: a point for the target corner, nothing for the net or the block.
  3. Add a second blocker, so the hitter learns to use the block, off the hands and out.

How it runs

The coach (C) tosses to the setter (S) at the target. The outside hitter (OH) starts at the left sideline and makes a curved approach towards the left antenna, while across the net their opposite (OPP), who blocks on their right, slides out to take the line. The setter sets high to the antenna, and the OH hits cross court, past the inside of the block, deep into the corner their defensive specialist (DS) is defending. The animation ends as the ball reaches the DS.

The cross-court ball is the one the block left open. If the blocker had stayed inside, the line would be open instead, and that is the decision this drill is really about.

The rule it is practising

The antenna and the ball in. An attack has to cross the net between the two antennae, and the antenna counts as part of the net. A ball that hits the antenna, or crosses outside it, is out under the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules. A ball that lands on a line is in, because the lines are part of the court. The hitter also must not touch the net between the antennae while playing the ball, which is why the approach finishes behind the ball rather than under it.

Youth volleyball is usually played with a lower net, and mini-volleyball and 4 v 4 on a smaller court, which changes how deep the hitter can aim, so check your federation's or league's rules for the net height your players use.

The mistakes to watch for

Starting the approach inside the court, so the hitter runs straight at the net and can only hit one way. Arriving under the ball instead of behind it. A swing with the arm and not the body. And a hitter who decides where to hit before looking at the block.

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