By [1] April Chapple

On the beach when you get called because you “threw the ball” that is considered a violation that’s been committed because your upper body, hands and arms were facing in one direction but you set the ball outside the plane of your body to another direction. Once you face a particular direction to overhand set, you are only allowed to set the ball in front of you or in back of you within the plane of your body, but if you “re-direct” the ball so that it goes outside the plane of your body you have “thrown the ball.”

If you add in the elements in beach volleyball, like the wind blowing the ball around or being distracted by the sun when you look up at the ball in your attempt to overhand set it, then you’ll understand why most professional beach volleyball players prefer to bump set the ball during their games.

As an indoor volleyball player transitioning to the sand game, you’ll need to get used to playing outside and dealing with these elements and others including rain and heavy wind at times. You’ll also need to develop your leg speed and the muscles you need to use to help you anticipate where your teammate is going to pass you the ball, so you can beat the ball, use your legs to get into a low position and deliver a nice bump set for your partner to hit. And you’ll have to develop the strength and stamina to be able to do this at least, at a minimum 50 times in a 21 point game.

Coach Mark Barber gave me some great conditioning advice that I’ve never forgotten. He said that if I wanted to get faster in the sand, I was going to have to run in the sand. It was pretty much that simple. So the more you run in the sand the faster you get in it. If you intend to just play the occasional recreational game then sand sprints may not be your thing. But if you’ve been bitten by the sand game bug and really want to get better at it, then you’re going to have to train and develop those muscles you’ll need to transport you across the sand quickly, efficiently and continuously over the course of a three-set match.

By now, many colleges are building sand courts or there are neighborhood parks with sand courts that you can go to if you don’t live near a beach. If you have a summer sprint workout, then a great suggestion would be to do your sprints on the sand, as well as in the gym or on the track. Something as simple as 3 sets of 10 sprints starting at the service line on one side of the court and running up to the net and walking back and then running up to the net, and walking back again, repeating this ten times, taking a break and then doing another two sets of ten will get you started in the right direction.

Just like when you play in indoor volleyball, you have to use your legs to set the ball. This is even more valid when bump setting on the beach. The faster you develop your sand leg speed and strength, the sooner you will be able to control the ball and the ball won’t be controlling you.

And now I would like to invite you to get Free video instruction directly from Olympic gold medalists and pro players on how to become a [2] better beach volleyball player.
You’ll get access to free videos with instructions for indoor and beach volleyball skills that you can use right away!

From April Chapple, creator of the volleyball news hub Volleyball Voices.com and author of the new ebook “86 Girls Indoor Volleyball Tips:How To Gain Confidence On the Volleyball Court.”

Article Source: [3] April_Chapple

[4] Beach Volleyball Tips for Indoor Players Who Want to Improve Their Bump Setting