How to Train to Jump Higher for Beach Volleyball
Have you decided to make the transition from indoor to beach volleyball? Well, let me help you out by telling you that even the best beach volleyball players were not good when they started on the sand. Even if you are a professional indoor player, you will feel like you have never even played volleyball when you step on the sand and that is normal.
Most good indoor volleyball players don’t like to play beach volleyball because they are so used to be being great volleyball players, when they play in the sand they are suddenly not great anymore and they don’t like that feeling. So it’s time to swallow your pride and practice.
One area where most of the frustration comes from is the hitting. Even if you are 6’6″ and you can hit balls straight down indoor, you will have a hard time spiking a ball in the sand. You have to unlearn your indoor broad jump and jump like a true volleyball player.
To jump high in the sand takes a lot of practice, you have to get your sand legs and then you will be able to hit. Everyone can hit balls when you are jumping off of a hard surface but when you replace it with sand the percentage drops drastically.
So your jump training should take place mostly in the sand. You need to start doing plyometrics in the sand for a few weeks and you will see a difference. Even walking in deep sand is tiring if you are not used to it.
So all of your running should now be done barefooted in the sand and not by the ocean where the sand is packed down, but in the deep sand where you will be playing volleyball. All of you drills will be done in the sand as well. If you are getting tired from moving around in the sand, you will not be able to jump because your muscles will be exhausted. You have to get accustomed to moving in sand before you will be able to jump in it.
Now you will need to focus on the proper jumping form for beach volleyball. To increase your vertical leap for volleyball all you need to do sometimes is correct your form. You will use a shorter approach and try to apply more force down towards the sand. Try stomping on the sand really hard and you will notice that you will be able to jump higher.
Your arm swing is very important in beach volleyball because they will help you get out of the sand. Make a mental effort to really swing your arms as much as possible. Make sure that both arms go up above your head before you cock your hitting arm back to swing at the ball. Most of your jump training should be done without a ball until it becomes habit to use your arms and stomp the sand.
The best beach volleyball workout will involve a lot of jumping in deep sand on a high net. The harder you train, the easier it will be to win at game time. Enjoy your beach volleyball training.
Click Here to see a jump training program that includes specific workouts to jump higher.
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