How to Play Volleyball Like a Pro

There are many techniques and paths you can follow to improve your volleyball skills. If you’re looking to improve your abilities, you might be wondering how to play volleyball like a pro and what are the best steps to get started.

Five Steps on How to Play Volleyball Like a Pro

When it comes to volleyball, practicing and training is one of the most essential elements for athletes; after all, it allows them to constantly improve their skills, mentality, and physical well-being. Without training, they would not improve as fast as they would expect.

That being said, one of the characteristics that most elite volleyball players possess is great discipline along with good constancy. This means that they don’t just look at drills on how to get better; they practice them on a daily basis for months and even years.

Thus, before learning the next steps, you need to consider the time you will have to dedicate to each one of them. After all, you will not become a star player overnight; it will take time only if you put in the effort.

Step 1: Improve Your Mentality

No matter how hard you train your body in order to improve your volleyball skills; if you have a negative mentality, you won’t get too far. Even if you do, most volleyball clubs and teams will not incorporate a negative player with bad behavior into their squads.

This would harm team chemistry because they would be unable to play as teammates, regardless of how talented they are. This could have an impact on the squad’s mentality, which is one of the most crucial aspects of any sport.

Therefore, the first step on your journey should be to work on your mindset. One clue that you need to work on your mental health is that you lack motivation when your team starts to lose. You must be mindful and control your thoughts to improve this.

Yoga, Mindfulness, and Meditation

One of the best exercises you can do to control your thoughts is yoga. This will help your body and your mind to work together and find relaxation in stressful moments. On top of that, it helps you improve your flexibility, and it speeds up your body’s recovery time.

Mindfulness and meditation are two other exercises you should consider. These will assist you to see your thoughts from a different perspective, allowing you to realize and let them go. You can use these meditations before and after practice to improve your mental health.

If you have seen athletes giving an outstanding performance under stressful situations, it is because they might practice these exercises. This allows them to be relaxed, even in nerve-wracking situations such as tournament finals, or play-offs

Step 2: Work on Discipline, Not Motivation

In the same manner that you should take care of your mental health, you should start creating good habits that will allow you to progress in volleyball. Discipline is one of the most fundamental habits to develop; without it, progress would be much more difficult.

In reality, many athletes prioritize motivation above discipline, which can be a bad decision. This is because, while motivation can help you train, it will only last a short period of time (one week, or even a couple of months).

Discipline, on the other hand, will always be present, regardless of your mood or motivation. This is one of the main characteristics that pro players have; they adhere to their training in a disciplined way. This allows them to constantly improve their skills and abilities.

How to Improve Your Discipline

Even though it may sound simple, improving your self-discipline can be hard, especially if you are not used to it. Creating a new habit and sticking to your plans requires a lot of effort, therefore, you would need to invest a lot of time.

Here you can see some tips on how to improve your discipline.

• Create a schedule and put it where you can see it every morning. This will always remind you of the things you need to do every day, and it is a good way of staying organized.
• Create a list of your goals and put it where you can see them every day. This might motivate you and remind you why you started this journey. A good place you can put this is on your phone, either as wallpaper or as a note.
• Set achievable goals. The next step is to set goals that are manageable rather than overwhelming. For example, don’t set a goal that says “Master Spiking by next month,” as you are not giving yourself enough time to master it.
• Prioritize your tasks. You need to always choose the task that drives you towards your goals. As hard as it might sound, if you want to achieve a great goal, you will have to momentarily let go of some things, such as partying every weekend.
• Lastly, remember that you are human and that you need to have fun from time to time. Discipline is sometimes perceived as a monotonous trait; however, this does not have to be the case. You should always continue to do the things you enjoy.

Step 3: Master the Basic Movements

To start learning harder volleyball techniques, you must first master all the basic motions. After all, they are the ones that serve as the foundation for every volleyball player. Without them, you would not be able to play correctly.

Thus, you should be able to master your serve, volleys, bumps, sets, and stance. After you’ve completed all this, you can start learning new techniques like digging, jump serves, and dinks.

Step 4: Create a Body Conditioning Workout

It is not a myth that all sports require a high level of endurance, flexibility, and athleticism. As a result, if you want to be a professional volleyball player, you must train your body to develop its stamina and agility.

In addition, you should improve your vertical jump. This is one of the most useful abilities to have when playing volleyball. After all,  it helps you to block and spike effectively. The world’s greatest players can jump from 40 to 50 inches high.

To do this, you can start by jumping on boxes, doing jump ropes, and doing strength exercises for your legs. These can be leg extensions, lunges, weighted squads, and hamstring curls. When doing this, remember to have a coach supervising your movements.

Step 5: Watch Professionals

One of the best ways of improving your game is to watch professionals and mimic their actions. Observing one of the best players in the world can boost your confidence as well as your motivation to practice.

Additionally, it provides ideas for your playing style, allowing you to progressively develop your own unique approach. You will be a valuable player on the court if you can learn the best moves from the finest players in the world.

Lastly, this can help you make better decisions. You can learn the best decisions made by professional players if you pay attention to what they do. Even better, you might notice a mistake and learn from it. After all, even the best players commit errors.

Related Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about playing volleyball.

How Do You Hit a Volleyball Without Pain?

To stop feeling discomfort on your arms when you bump the ball, you can try using sleeves, these will soften the impact of the ball. On the other hand, you can use a softer ball until you get used to the feeling.

What Should I Learn First in Volleyball?

The first thing you should learn about volleyball is the positions, how they work, and how they play. Once you do this, you will have a greater understanding of the game and its strategies.

What Makes a Good Volleyball Player?

Practice, consistency, and a good mentality. This is because, even if you are very talented at volleyball, you won’t get very far if you don’t practice. Also, if you don’t have good behavior, it will be difficult for you to practice teamwork.

Conclusion

Being a successful player involves a lot of hard work and practice; after all, mastering all of the details can be tough both mentally and physically. However, with organization and discipline, you can reach your goal and succeed as a skilled player.