How to Improve Beach Volleyball Setting

It’s no surprise that beach volleyball and indoor volleyball sports have many things in common. Both indoor and outdoor volleyball players have to do serving, passing, blocking, setting and hitting during the game.

Setting is a crucial part of beach volleyball game. However, beach and indoor volleyball setting strategies are different. So, if you would like to succeed in the beach volleyball sport then you should definitely focus on developing beach volleyball setting skills.

This blog post is aimed to help you improve your beach volleyball setting skills. First of all, we’ll talk about beach volleyball setting basics. Then, we’ll outline the key differences between beach and indoor volleyball setting. Lastly, we’ll give indoor volleyball players some tips for improving their beach setting game.

Beach Volleyball Setting Basics

It would be better for you to set the ball high and slowly. By doing so, you’ll make it easy for your partner to carry out an attack hit. It’s also important for a setter to set the ball to the right place. Obviously, that your team’s hitter is likely to face the opposing team’s blocker. That’s why you should set the ball 2 – 3 feet off the net. So, your partner will have some place to carry out an attack hit and make it harder for the opposing team’s blocker to handle the ball successfully.

You should also know that beach volleyball setting begins with passing. It’s clear that a setter will probably find it easy to set the ball straight up. Let’s assume that you want a ball to be set at some part of the court. In this case, you should aim to pass the ball to this part of the court.

Most likely that a setter will find it difficult to set the ball near the net. Do you need to make a tough dig during the game? If so, you should do everything you can to pass the ball off the net. As a result, a setter will be able to approach to the ball and set it to you in the best possible way.

Does your partner currently plays near the net and he/she tries to block the opponent’s attacks? In this case, you should do everything possible to pass the ball high. Keep in mind that if you pass the ball high, then you give a setter more time to approach to it and prepare for a set. Plus, you should aim to pass the ball to the middle part of the court. Your partner will find it easy to get to the ball and set it to you. Finally, you’ll have everything that’s needed to carry out an attack hit.

Another important thing that you need to be aware of is that the success of beach volleyball setting depends a lot on communication between players. In other words, a hitter needs to explain his/her partner (setter) how exactly he/she wants the ball to be set.\

Would you like to carry out an attack hit on the right or left side of the court? Do you prefer the ball to be set tight? It goes without saying that a setter and hitter should discuss all these kinds of things ahead of time. A setter should know all of hitter’s preferences. On the other hand, a hitter should know all of the setter’s preferences. A setter and hitter can successfully cooperate on the court if they understand each other very well.

The reality is setting in the sport of beach volleyball is not always easy. Do you find it hard to do hand setting? If so, you obviously need to learn the so called bump setting technique. In fact, there are many important things to consider when mastering the bump setting technique.

It’s crucial for you to know that the bump setting technique requires the some preparation. Initially, you need to get behind the ball. Also, you need to face where the ball is likely to go.

Above all, you have to take into consideration the direction of wind when setting the ball. Is the wind going away from you? If so, you obviously shouldn’t set the ball very hard. However, you should definitely set the ball harder if a wind is blowing in your face.

Beach Volleyball Setting Drills

– Ball repetitions. It’s crucial for you to get ready for beach volleyball setting. Put your hands near you mouth. Make sure that the angle between your elbows is 90 degrees. The drill begins and you need to toss the ball to yourself first. After tossing the ball you need to catch it with back of your wrist. Initially, you need to toss the ball low and push it slowly. You should allow the ball to leave your hand 1 – 2 feet. The proper work of legs is crucial for doing this type of beach volleyball drill. When setting the ball you need to extend your knees, elbows and hip. Without a doubt, you’ll be able to master beach volleyball setting technique over time if you do this drill on a regular basis.

– Getting feet to the ball. You should approach to the ball quickly to be able to set it to your partner. Doing this type of drill will help you improve your movements for beach volleyball game. Initially, you need to toss the ball to yourself. After that, you need to combine tossing with lateral movements. Toss the ball straight up and then make two-step lateral movements to get your feet to the ball. Afterwards, you have to continue doing the drill. Now, you need to take two larger steps to approach to the ball. If you find that you’ll hardly be able to approach to the ball quickly, then you can take advantage of the so called the cross-over step.           

Key Differences between Beach and Indoor Volleyball Setting

Beach and indoor volleyball setting has many things in common. However, it’s harder to master beach volleyball setting. The key difference between beach and indoor volleyball setting is that it usually takes more time for a beach volleyball setter to approach to the ball. There are also some differences in setting styles. It’s no surprise that a lot of indoor volleyball players give a preference to the so called overhand setting technique. However, if you use this type of setting technique in sport of beach volleyball you can easily make double contact. That’s the reason why so many beach volleyball players choose to benefit from the bump setting technique.

Tips to Help Indoor Volleyball Players Master the Art of Beach Setting

The reality is making the transition from indoor volleyball to beach volleyball is not always easy. We’ve just outlined the key differences between beach and indoor volleyball setting techniques. You must be prepared that it takes an indoor volleyball player some time to master the art of beach setting. Now, we would like to provide indoor volleyball players with some tips to help them master the art of beach setting.

– As it was mentioned above, it takes a beach volleyball setter longer time to get to the ball. That means that a beach volleyball setter should aim to approach to the ball as soon as he/she can. Remember, every second counts!

– When preparing for setting in beach volleyball you need to square your shoulders to the target. By doing this, you’ll make it easy for your partner to understand you. In other words, an attacker will find it easy to figure out where the ball is likely to go after setting. So, he/she will be able to prepare for an attack hit successfully.

– Keep in mind that a beach volleyball attacker obviously needs more time to prepare for an attack hit. That’s why it makes a lot of sense for a setter to set the ball high.

– The trajectory of the set needs to be a straight line. So, it would be pretty easy for an attacker to predict where the ball is likely to go and land on the court. And of course, this will help an attacker carry out an attack hit. An attacker will be able to carry out either a hard swing or a well-placed shot.

– Let’s assume that you want to benefit from bump serving. If this is the case, you should create a platform for forward topspin first. By doing this, you’ll allow an attacker to get over the top of the ball. From this position, an attacker will be able to hit the ball down forcefully. Thus, it would be hard for an opposing team’s blocker to resist such an attack.

Thank you so much for reading this article. As you can see, this blog post focuses on beach volleyball setting. Follow our tips and do setting drills for beach volleyball on a regular basis. The success will not keep you waiting for a long time. As a result, you’ll become a better beach volleyball setter! Best of luck!      

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