Dynamic movement patterns

Mobility on the move instead of static stretching. Every lane hits something different: the lunge opens the hip, the trunk rotation the thoracic spine, and the carioca teaches the hips to cross while the eyes stay forward. Two players per lane, cones as the turning point just short of the net.

2 players 6 phases ± 10 min 2 cones, half a court From U15 upwards

Phase 1 of 6Two players behind the end line, cones just in front of the net

Players in two lanes 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

Dynamic mobility: lunge with trunk rotation toward the net, carioca and skips back; two full rounds.

Hip mobility in the lunge: the hip flexor that sits short after a day of sitting down.
Freeing up rotation from the chest, because it is in every swing and in every turn toward the ball.
Carioca: crossing hip over hip while the face keeps pointing at the court.

Coaching points

Knee over the foot in the lunge, not caving inwards.

A knee that falls inwards is the movement pattern behind ACL injuries. Here, at low speed, you can still correct it; in a landing after a block you no longer can.

On the rotation, turn your chest with it, not only your arms.

Arms swinging around give a false impression of range. What matters is mobility in the thoracic spine, and you need that to get over the ball on a swing.

Carioca: hips to the side, eyes forward.

The moment the shoulders turn along with it, it has become an ordinary run. Volleyball players move sideways while they keep seeing the game, and that is the pattern you are training here.

Skips high, but short on the floor.

Height without a short contact time is just prancing. The gain is in the speed with which the foot leaves the ground again, because that is the same quality as a fast take-off.

Variations

Easier: Lunges without the rotation and carioca at walking pace. Let players learn the pattern first before you add any speed.
Harder: Lunge with both arms stretched overhead, which asks more of the trunk and the shoulder. Carioca at speed across the full width.
With eight players: Four lanes side by side, each pair starting as soon as the pair ahead rounds the cone. That keeps the lane easy to oversee.
As a game: Only the way back with skips counts as a race. The way out is judged on execution: a sloppy lunge means doing that lane again.

Volleyball drills

4 players · 6 phases SafeVolley base round Warm-up 3 players · 5 phases Shoulder activation with band Warm-up 5 players · 5 phases Core plank with rotation Warm-up 2 players · 6 phases Pair warm-up Warm-up · Passing

Read on in the knowledge base: how a warm-up is built up · learning to land safely · what a growth spurt does to coordination