How can I practice spiking by myself? (volleyball)?

Question

I don't have anyone to practice for volleyball season which is coming up in the fall, and I really need to practice my spike approach! All I have is one volleyball and a handball court. I already praticed bumps and sets, but how in the world can I practice spiking?? (Any advice will be highly appreciated!)

Answer 1

All you need is a decent wall and a suitable volleyball.  For outside walls - a cheap practice volleyball is good enough - don't use an expensive indoor volleyball on outside walls, etc - the cheap one will stand up to such punishment, the expensive ones won't - it'll be abusing them.

All you do, is throw the ball, up like for a set - and for you to go forward into your spike - and to spike it confidently.  It takes some practice to get into a routine - but you'll soon adapt.  After a while you can vary your sets - because you'll never get the ideal set all the time, and can practice spiking towards different areas.  All this practice will pay off - you will be more confident, and will go towards any set, and do whatever spike you are capable of - such that you don't need to think about it anymore - it becomes second nature to you.  Meaning you can look around the court more and be more observant while spiking.

Just be sure you are using a correct spiking technique.  I recomend the bent elbow which straightens for your spiking, adding the wrist curl upon contact with the ball, this adds spin, which allows the ball to go over the net and over any blockers all the time.  Don't use your shoulder muscles - this is a no-no - it'll give you shoulder problems later on.  You can always practice the quick elblow flick, as a means of warming up very quickly.  You don't use the ball at all - with regular practice - this should be natural for you to do - doing it very very fast.  And if you think this is all too boring after a while - you can do a few left handed (other hand) spikes - this is for when you get a set in the wrong position - that you can do left handed - when you are forced to do so.  When you can practice with some friends - you can dig, set and spike at each other - you don't need a net to do this, and it is much more fun this way, allowing you to do all kinds of ball handling skills.  You may find, this can be a good way to hang out together - anywhere, although it really is 'practice' which will up your skills conveniently for you...

Answer 2

hit against the wall

Answer 3

throw the ball against the wall and then hit it

Answer 4

you can practice your approach without a ball.

to practice arm-swing and snapping your wrist, wall pepper. (when you hit the ball against the ground, it bounces and hits the wall and then comes back to you and you keep it going as long as you can or want.)

good luck

Answer 5

spike against your garage.

Answer 6

practice your arm swing by hitting against a wall,

repetition is KEY! also practice your aproach without

a ball.  Practice jump serving against a wall because

that is JUST like a hit, then you get to practice your

arm swing and aproach! I hope you try this! It really

helps a lot of people.  Goodluck during your season!

Answer 7

make a habit of doing an approach each time you walk through a hallway in you house.  ssoon, it'll be a reflex.

go to your neighborhood tennis court and practice spiking against the wall they have there for practicing tennis.

Good luck!! :)

Answer 8

If you have a friend or parent (they don't have to play volleyball) willing to help you, use them!

By yourself:

- practice your approach, and swing without a ball.  

- After that, you can grab a tennis ball (this really works with learning to 'snap that wrist!' Using the tennis ball, put it in your non-hitting hand (left hand?).  Then take your first step.  On your second step, switch the ball behind your back.  Take your last step, jump and throw the ball downward, just as you would spike.  This really helps with the motion of snapping your wrist (which makes the volleyball go downward!).

- Practice your hitting against a wall.  Back away from the wall about 8ft(?), and throw the ball infront of you and practice your swing.  Make sure you're snapping your wrist at the end.

Then, with a partner:

- Take a chair, and make the partner stand on the chair holding the volleyball out with one hand (if you're right handed, make then stand on your right handside).  Take 2-3 big steps back.  Then do your approach, and hit the ball out of the person's hand (you can tell them to adjust it, if it's too high or low).  Don't worry about hitting the other person's hand, it doesn't hurt, haha.

- Then, get them to toss it to you, just like a setter would set a hitter.  You can work on your timing.  Make sure you do a fast approach.  Start your approach when the ball ALMOST hits it's highest point.  It seems early, but usually you end up being right on time.