Effective Volleyball Drills

Volleyball requires endurance, strength and quick reflexes to serve, defend and hit. Effective drills can help you to improve your game in these areas. The website Volleyball Drills notes that there are three types of drills: skills and movement, tactical and conditioning. Skill and movement drills focus on specific skills, while tactical drills involve the whole team. Conditioning drills are generally reserved for off-season improvements.

Eye Check Drill

Part of being a successful volleyball player is being aware of the other side of the net. Practice the challenging eye check drill to increase your awareness of the other team. Place three players on one side of the net -- a setter, a tosser and a hitter. The coach or coordinator stands on the opposite side of the net. On your call, the tosser throws the ball to the waiting setter. While the ball is in the air, make the hand symbol for "rock, paper or scissors." The setter has to call out what you demonstrated before moving the ball to the hitter.

Hitting and Placement Drill

Work with a partner to practice hitting and placement. Throw the ball up and hit it to your partner. A more complex drill is a placement drill. Divide one side of the court into four squares. Have your partner stand in one of the squares and you stand on the opposite side of the net. Ask your partner to throw the ball to you. You return the ball, aiming for the square your partner is standing in. Once you improve, ask your partner to throw you the ball from one square and move to another square while the ball is going over the net. Take turns being the thrower and the hitter.

Get Out of the Hole

The blocking drill "Get Out of the Hole" can help teach blockers to be more aggressive while developing the necessary stamina. Place two sturdy wooden boxes close to the net and about five or six feet apart. Ask the hitters to stand on a box. Give each hitter a ball. Tell the blocker to stand on the opposite side near the middle of the net. On your "go," one of the hitters slaps the ball towards the blocker. The blocker attempts to return the ball using proper footwork and hitting technique. Repeatedly call "go" to give the blocker the chance to improve his reflexes and accuracy at the net.

Serving Drill

These effective serving drills can help you with the float, jump and jump-float serves, advises Kinda Lenberg, editor of the American Volleyball Coaches Association book "Volleyball Skills and Drills." The book notes that serving errors are the most detrimental misplays in a volleyball game. Gather three players. Have the server stand on one side of the court, the passer on the other side and a target player to catch the volleyball and quickly feed balls to the server. The server uses either the float, jump or jump-float serve and serves the ball. The passer tries to return the serve while the target throws another ball to the server. Allow a beginner to stand closer to the net to practice serving until she develops her strength and accuracy. Rotate positions among the three players.