Bench jump and block drill

Over a bench first, then straight into a block. The jump over the bench means the legs have already done work and the player cannot make a tidy approach: he has to find his blocking position in the half a beat he has after landing. Exactly like at the end of a long rally.

11 players 6 phases ± 15 min 4 balls, a sturdy bench, half court with net From U15 upwards

Phase 1 of 6A line behind the bench, the tosser ready with the ball at the net

The blockers in the line (M) The feeder at the net and the players on the other side Equipment Ball

This animation comes straight out of the Koach app. In the app you play it at your own pace and the positions carry your players' real names.

Open in the app

How the drill runs

What you are training

Block training with a bench: players jump over the bench, land at the net and block the ball on offer.

Getting into a blocking position straight after a landing, with legs that have already worked.
Two jumps back to back without a shuffle step in between.
Landing softly, even when you are in a hurry.

Coaching points

Land off the bench on two feet with bent knees.

Landing on one leg with the knee locked out is how knee injuries happen in volleyball. The bench makes it visible because there is real height involved.

Your hands are already high before you touch the floor.

After the landing off the bench there is no time left to lift your arms. A player who is already in his block position in the air can go straight into the second jump.

Take off for the second jump without a shuffle step.

An extra little step feels more stable but costs more time than it gains. The landing off the bench is also your take-off for the block.

Put the bench half a meter from the net.

Push it up against the net and the player lands with his body in the net, and the drill turns into one about net faults instead of about blocking.

Variations

Easier: Without the bench: one big step to the net and then block. The bench only comes in once the landing is clean.
Harder: The feeder chooses whether to hit or tip. On a tip the player is not allowed to jump but has to dig the ball up.
With six players: Two benches side by side with two lines and two feeders. That keeps the lines short and gets everybody another turn every twenty seconds.
As a game: Ten balls per line. A ball that rebounds back to the feeder scores a point, a landing in which the net is touched costs one.

Volleyball drills

4 players · 6 phases SafeVolley base round Warm-up 3 players · 5 phases Shoulder activation with band Warm-up 2 players · 6 phases Dynamic movement patterns Warm-up 5 players · 5 phases Core plank with rotation Warm-up

Read on in the knowledge base: strength training for volleyball players: what works and what does not · learning to land safely · warm-up drills for volleyball