Archive for the Beach Category
Beach Volleyball World
July 2, 2010 by jameslucas.
By Gabi Urse
Playing beach volleyball is the most complete sport and game experience I have ever had. I was a former volleyball player. The most desirable volleyball games where on the beach, most of all at the Black Sea. This was my playground. I love beach volleyball. Every time I go to the sea I suddenly feel full of joy and happy. This happened because of the beach volleyball that follows.
I had remembered few years ago I went to my girlfriend in a short vacation to the sea. During the vacation there was a beach volleyball tournament, and we did not know that, till we got there.
How did we hear about the beach volley tournaments? While we played on the beach someone told us. In fact the person who told us was a former basketball player mom. My girlfriend did not know to play beach volleyball. The rule said to form a three people beach volleyball team. Well, along with the former basketball player mom, we where three. My concerns were my player partners, especially my girlfriend. She did not know how to serve or to take over the ball. The former basketball mom was in the same situation.
We won the first game, which was against a good team. Then we have told to ourselves to play and win. We won the second game also and qualified for the next day. During those games I served like in the high schools championships, which I earned many times. I have remember the joy of the sand and the beaches, the enthusiasm I used to train since early in the morning, the workout and exercises in order to jump higher.
We had to play with much better teams the next day. So my concerns beat me. We played well, we won the first set, but we have lost the next two. What did I learn from it? The thoughts and concerns become facts. We need beach volleyball practice, workouts and exercises. In order to get it I put up a website dedicated to all the volleyball players which are highly motivated by this sport on the beach.
http://www.beach-volleyball-world.com
Article Source: Gabi Urse
Beach Volleyball World
A Beginner’s Guide to Beach Volleyball
June 22, 2010 by jameslucas.
By Michael R Browne
Going to the beach isn’t all about chilling out and picking up a tan; it’s about having a great time too! Beach volleyball is cheap, fun and easy to set up; all you need is a volleyball (or any similar sized ball), a net, and some willing participants.
Developing at a similar time to modern surfing, beach volleyball shares the casual, relaxed attitude of surfing. Being played on sand, there is no such thing as correct or recommended attire; the vast majority of players play in whatever is comfortable for them. Most players, even at a professional level, play barefoot. Anyone can play beach volleyball; it is easy on the limbs and an excellent way to keep active and make new friends while on the beach. Any quality sports shop will stock a decent volleyball and net for a reasonable price.
The rules are very similar to those of indoor volleyball. The official court measurements for beach volleyball are 8 metres by 16 metres, although this can be easily adjusted to suit your level of play. The net should be roughly 2 to 2.5 metres off the ground. Typically, a team consists of 2 players on each side of the net. To score a point, a team must manage to either ground the ball in the opponents’ court, or the opposing team must commit a fault. A fault generally consists of failing to return the ball into court across the net; either by hitting the net, or sending the ball outside of the boundaries of play. Teams are allowed to contact the ball a maximum of 3 times, with no one player allowed to touch the ball on consecutive occasions. One player from each team begins each point by serving the ball into the opposition’s court area.
Matches generally consist of a best out of 3 set format; that is, the first team to win 2 sets is the victor. To win a set, one team must reach 21 points, with a minimum 2 point advantage over the opposition.
When playing for the first time, certain terminology may confuse you. In particular, a ‘dig’ is a shot performed when you scoop the ball upwards when the ball is low. Another common shot is known as the ’spike’; the action of hitting the ball forcefully downwards into the opponent’s area. There are a few others, but you will pick them up quickly the more you play.
Of course, it is not imperative to follow all these rules to the letter of the law. It is far more important to have fun; if the net is a little too low, or you happen to be playing with a football, it doesn’t matter; just enjoy yourself! Beach volleyball is a relaxed, enjoyable sport when played in the right spirit. Go hard, keep it light hearted and try to make friends with your opponents.
Beach volleyball is fantastic fun and is easily accessible to all, being one of the best ways in which to remain active whilst on the beach. Next time you head to the beach, set up a game with your friends and see how many people join you!
Article by Michael R Browne for Simply Beach: For a huge selection of women’s designer swimwear, from the bikinis and tankinis, one piece swimwear, plus size swimwear, mastectomy and maternity swimwear, to kaftans, cover ups and summer dresses, beach hats and bags. At Simply Beach you’ll find everything you need to complete your summer wardrobe.
Article Source: Michael R. Browne
A Beginner’s Guide to Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball Tips for Indoor Players Who Want to Improve Their Bump Setting
June 16, 2010 by jameslucas.
By 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 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: April_Chapple
Beach Volleyball Tips for Indoor Players Who Want to Improve Their Bump Setting
Beach Volleyball: The Deep Dish, is it a Pizza or a Way to Set the Ball?
June 15, 2010 by jameslucas.
By April Chapple
Setting a volleyball is a skill of finesse. It takes a soft touch, great timing and the ability to coordinate your upper body that is required to push the ball in the air with your lower body which first has to get into a low position and then come out of that position all in one well-choreographed sequence.
Never do players find this more true than when setting the ball on the beach where the sand and other elements are also introduced as “game” determining factors.
Beach volleyball players have certain styles of setting the ball and beginners like to emulate the professionals by trying to copy their style, but some styles aren’t what they seem to be and they may not be the ones that should be copied.
Deep Dish Setting A Ball
Some players try to use the deep dish set for a couple of reasons. Some guys usually do it because they think it looks cool, others do it because they think it’s the only way to take the spin off of the ball. Other female players will deep dish because the beach volleyball is heavier than an indoor volleyball and the weight of the ball plus it’s downward momentum will cause them to bring the ball down lower usually pass their chin and around their chest level before they push the ball back in the air in order to deliver a set to their partner.
To deep dish effectively you need to be able to get the ball back in to the air, after it’s dropped past your chin to your chest, with an overhand set and deliver a ball to your partner with virtually no spin or rotation on the ball. Good luck with that.
The problem with deep dishing is that you are setting yourself up to be called for holding or lifting the ball.
- When you set a ball it shouldn’t come to an absolute complete stop. (This concept is a lot looser on the beach than it is in indoor volleyball.)
- Another thing that shouldn’t happen when you set the ball on the beach is that like indoor volleyball you are not allowed to touch the ball using the palms of your hands to set. By using your palms you are forced to push the ball or lift it back in the air, and that isn’t setting the ball, that is a violation which you will be called for.
Combine these two elements I mentioned above with
- not being able to put extra spin on the ball when you set it and now you’ve increased your risk of committing not one but a couple of violations because by attempting to use the deep dish, instead of contacting the ball to set it when it reaches the level of your forehead, you wait until the ball falls further down past your chin or chest area to overhand set the ball.
I now ask you, is it worth all the trouble?
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 better beach volleyball setter.
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: April Chapple
Beach Volleyball: The Deep Dish, is it a Pizza or a Way to Set the Ball?
Beach Volleyball Serve Receive Tips: Are Hand Grips the Secret to Better Passing?
May 21, 2010 by jameslucas.
By April Chapple
The function of the hand grip you use to forearm pass or bump a ball is to help you keep your elbows straight and to make sure you maintain as flat and as wide a platform as possible. Hand grips come in all forms.
The secret to better passing is to keeping your elbows straight and as locked and close together as possible. Remember you want to create a table top where the only thing the ball has to do is bounce off of your table top and back up to the intended target. The best tip to keeping your elbows straight is to position your wrists with your thumbs always pointing down to the ground in the most efficient way possible.
For some players that looks like placing the fingers of their right hand into the palm of their left so their fingers are turned upward towards them and they are crisscrossed. Now they close their hands together so the thumbs meet, touching side by side. If they are right handed they then should see the first three fingers of their right hand extend past their left thumb.
For others, their hand grip is made by making a fist with their right hand and turning it sideways so they see their thumb on top of their fist. Then they place that fist into the palm of the opposite hand until the two thumbs meet and are lined up side-by-side. The fingers of the left hand should come across the fist and touch the knuckles of the right hand.
Still for others, there are those who modify the fist grip and have their two index fingers pointing to the ground (old school) while a few elite players with out-of-this-world ball control skills, manage to have no grip at all.
Here’s the deal, since you will be passing and serve receiving and diving in this wonderful game called beach volleyball you want to have your own personal kung fu grip to be one that doesn’t break apart easily under pressure and that absolutely insures that you will be able to create and maintain that all important “table top” which we call a platform.
To maintain the most control of the ball during serve receive the number one important thing is to keep a straight flat platform using a grip that doesn’t allow your arms to break apart in mid-action. You want to use both arms to pass, not just one.
Your goal is to be able to put the ball where you want it, whether the ball comes to you as an easy serve or whether you have to dive for a hard hit down ball. Since your platform is where the ball makes contact, it needs to consistently be a flat surface where impact is made above your wrists and below the inside of your elbows on your forearms and with your shoulders angled to your target.
April Chapple, is the “Five Quick Tips” columnist for the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Coaching Volleyball magazine and the creator of the volleyball news hub Volleyball Voices.com, where you’ll find out where to get video instruction directly from Olympic gold medalists and pro players on how to become a better volleyball player.
Article Source: April_Chapple
Beach Volleyball Serve Receive Tips: Are Hand Grips the Secret to Better Passing?
Beach Volleyball Secrets and Tips to Serving Deep in the Court
May 20, 2010 by jameslucas.
By April Chapple
Because you’re playing outside with the wind and the sun playing a huge part in the outcome of your game, its much better for a player to practice serving deep into the opposite court because the wind can blow a ball that seems a few inches outside the baseline, back into the court.
When the wind is up and kicking, players often call a ball that has been served high and deep in the court “out’ when it actually gets blown or drops back in especially when it comes to the high velocity jump serve. That’s why its advantageous to play on the side where the wind is blowing into your face (not away from you) this way, you can spike harder and serve harder into the wind and the ball is likely to stay or blow back into the court.
As I mentioned before the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, especially when you are serving from the middle of the court to the opposite middle of the court. But you can do yourself a favor by serving from one of your cross court corners to the cross court deep corner on the opposite side because not only are you forcing the passer to have to turn their shoulders and eyes off the net to pass the ball, but you are giving yourself more court area to serve the ball into. When you serve cross court you have much more area to serve to, so you can take a bit more risk and really serve much harder while aiming for that far corner.
Is it tough enough? That’s what players ask themselves about their serves. What’s great about serving deep in the court is that if you don’t jump serve, your serve doesn’t have to have a lot of power or force, it just has to be placed well in the court. The deep serve is a tactical serve that with a lot of repetitions in practice you can use to score a lot of direct points with in a game.
When an opposing player has to pass or serve receive a ball that has been served to them above their waist or in their corner, they are forced to move backwards in the court which means they have to
- pass the ball from a lot farther back,
- get it all the way up to the middle of the court or to the net,
- while on the move and
- with more precision, to their partner who’s waiting to set the ball. Then, they have to
- cover more of the distance in the court to get back to their usual starting position for their spike approach.
Strategy: If you and your partner pick one person to serve the ball deep to for a good portion of the game, you are putting pressure on that person to cover a lot of court area and I guarantee you (unless that person is in extra good shape) that player will quickly get tired and will start to make unforced errors because they are so tired having to play all those balls. The secret is to stick to your game plan strategy. If you alternate and serve to both players then they both have a chance to recuperate and gain their strength back between plays.
April Chapple, is the “Five Quick Tips” columnist for the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Coaching Volleyball magazine and the creator of the volleyball news hub Volleyball Voices.com, where you’ll find out where to get video instruction directly from Olympic gold medalists and pro players along with more beach volleyball serving tips.
Article Source: April Chapple
Beach Volleyball Secrets and Tips to Serving Deep in the Court
Beach Volleyball: A How to Guide
April 28, 2010 by jameslucas.
Beach Volleyball - A How To Guide
By Geoff James
Beach Volleyball is a spin-off of the sport played on sand. It was invented in sunny Southern California, and has ridden a wave of popularity all the way to the Olympics. The rules of play are similar to on-court volleyball, but teams are much smaller, ranging from 2-6 players per side. Most commonly and in professional competition, teams are of 2 players.
Other than the obvious changes in terrain and team size, the other rules are generally the same. A team has three touches to get the ball over the net, and grounding the ball on the opponent’s side of the court scores points.
A Beach Volleyball court is 8 by 16 meters, compared to the standard 9 x 18 measurement of an indoor court. The regulation ball is softer and larger than an indoor court ball. The team to get the best out of 3 games wins the match. Indoor games are played to 25 points, but beach games are played to 21. The final major difference is the allowance of balls passing under the net, so long as it does not interfere with the opponent’s ability to keep the ball in play.
Block signals are heavily relied on in beach volleyball. These universal signals are made behind a player’s back so opponents cannot see. Due to the uniform (bikinis for women and a tank top and shorts for men), many more conservative communities are opposed to the sport. Many Muslim communities choose not to participate in the games.
Whether you are on a competitive or recreational team, giving the champions volleyball trophies is an affordable yet classy congratulations!
Article Source: Geoff James
Beach Volleyball: A How to Guide
Beach Volleyball Rules
April 9, 2010 by jameslucas.
By Ethan D Orman
Beach volleyball rules can be quite intricate. It seems like just a fun game on the beach, but there is much more to it than that. Here are some of the most common beach volleyball rules:
You can actually go all the way under the net to your opponent’s side as long as you do not have any contact from the other team.
Even if a ball has gone over or under the net or outside the antenna, you can play it back to your side as long as your team has a contact left and the ball is played back under the net or outside the antenna.
If the ball is a hard driven spike, you can double hit the ball to dig it out. An open hand is allowed in this case.
Except in the case of a hard driven spike, you can never double hit a ball on the first contact.
You can use all parts of your body to play the ball.
If you are serving you have to toss the ball before contacting it to serve it. If you toss it, consider it served.
You cannot move the court boundaries during the serve. This is even true if the sand shifts during serving.
Each team in college volleyball is allowed three contacts. If you touch the block it is considered to be one of your contacts.
If you are using a setting motion to hit the ball over the net, you have to hit the ball in the direction that your shoulders are facing. This can be to the front or the back. The exception would be if you were side setting to your partner.
You should switch court sides. If you are playing to 15, switch every five points. If you are playing to 11, switch every four points.
It is always best to know the rules of your game. Whether you are playing college volleyball, women’s beach volleyball, or high school volleyball, knowing your boundaries is very important. Keep these common beach volleyball rules in mind the next time you hit the beach.
Visit our website to learn more about about the history of volleyball: http://historyofvolleyball.net
Article Source: Ethan D. Orman
Beach Volleyball Rules
Transitioning from Indoor to Beach Volleyball
March 31, 2010 by jameslucas.
By Todd Hicks
Are you someone who is enthusiastic about volleyball? Do you play the sport? If so, are you interested in playing on the beach? This requires a higher level of skill than playing indoors. By reading this article, you will learn how you can make a smooth transition from playing indoors to playing on the beach.
Things that are needed in beach play that may not be apparent in indoor play include physical strength, speed, good reaction time and the ability to jump high. It is especially important to have these qualities to play on the beach because this type of game only has two players on a team as opposed to the regular existence of six people on a team. You have to cover a lot more ground on the beach.
It is vital to have a lot of upper body strength in order to overpower the other team with hard serves and strokes. You must have plenty of lower body strength to jump high to catch the ball over the net and smash it. Because there is so much ground to cover, you have to run fast and react quickly to an incoming shot. You also have to be able to dive for shots that are low and away from you and your partner.
When you only have one teammate instead of five, you have to be very prepared and do a lot of thinking. It is essential for you and your partner to create a good game plan and work out strategies.
It is necessary to have the most talented players for beach volleyball. You can spot great players based on the skills they display and the results they achieve.
Preparation is important for making an adjustment from indoor to beach play. You can practice for beach volleyball by playing on a surface that is made of sand, carpet or grass with three other people while making dives and doing other special drills.
You have learned what it takes to play volleyball on the beach. Use the information you have learned to make a smooth transition from playing indoors!
Todd Hicks owns Skill Development Institute, an enterprise that provides a keyboard typing lesson and academic study guide. To become a great typist or student, visit Skill Development Institute.
Article Source: Todd Hicks
Transitioning from Indoor to Beach Volleyball
Beach Volleyball
April 2, 2009 by jameslucas.
Learn how to increase your vertical so that you can become a better volleyball player. No matter what type of volleyball you play, you always need to jump higher.
How do you jump higher for sand volleyball? The answer to this question is very easy.
So you want to begin training in a gym to improve for the upcoming season of beach volleyball? Well, the training might be a little different than just lifting some dumbbells.
When it comes to playing volleyball in sand there are a lot of new training factors to consider. I will review some of the different techniques and strategies used for playing beach volleyball.
This article goes over some of the main differences of indoor volleyball compared to beach volleyball. If you are looking to transition from indoor to outdoor (beach) volleyball you need to know these simple rules.
Playing beach volleyball is a fun and exciting sport, for both competition and recreation. Instead of being cooped up in a building or gym, go outside into the fresh air and feel the sand between your toes, as you play one of the world’s favorite sports. You will be addicted, and if that addiction leads you to build your own personal sand court then you need to know the correct dimensions.
