What is the best way to learn how to play volleyball better?

Question

Any good places to go play near the Washington / Baltimore / Philly region???

Answer 1

Sign up for a volleyball camp.  I went to a week long day camp every summer and it helped my game more than anything else.  If you are on a team, ask your coach for suggestions.  There are camps to fit all kinds of budgets and schedules.

Answer 2

get some one that played volleyball and learn how to play it to

Answer 3

If you are a beginner than try going to open gym at your local rec center. Best way to improve is play more and against good competition. There are many leagues you can join which might work for you too. In Maryland there is a great place to play called Sportplex in Germantown. Also, I know volleyball junkie who swears by Volleyball House in Elkridge.

Answer 4

play DOAX

Answer 5

basically what everybody is saying practice, but make sure you are doing it the right way, by using drills that coachs put on the internet  and just get out there and have fun learning and playing

Answer 6

Practice makes perfect.

Answer 7

Find a court, some friend, and get a ball.  Easiest way.

Answer 8

you can probably find some instructional volleyball camps, or you could always go out and join a league....the one way to get better is by practice!

Answer 9

*defenitly you have to find somebody who knows how to play

   1. Get some equipment. The minimum you need is a volleyball, a net. Any sporting goods store should have this stuff. Lots of nets come with lines, or you can use shoes or other objects to indicate the corners of the court.

   2. Find a friend or three. You can start learning the basics of volleyball one other person by playing "pepper", that is, just practicing the basic skills by hitting the ball back and forth. If you have a foursome, you can play some games.

   3. Warm up. Volleyball can be really hard specifically on the ankles, knees, and shoulders. Make sure you limber up those joints and get the blood flowing a bit before you play.

   4. Practice passing. Passing is the basic skill of volleyball. It's also the most important. Make a "platform" by clasping your hands in front of you, with your thumbs together. Don't interlace your fingers. You can either make a fist with one hand and wrap the other around it, or bend one thumb down to its palm, and press the heel of that hand into the palm of the other. Either way, make sure your thumbs are together and your elbows are straight. Keep your knees bent, and let the ball contact your forearms about a third of the way between your wrists and elbows. Try not to move your arms too much- let your legs do the work. Practice accuracy and height control.

   5. Practice setting. Look up, and make a diamond with your index fingers and thumbs just above the bridge of your nose. Now move your hands apart slightly. Throw or pass the ball right above your head, and position your body so the ball would hit you right on the nose if your hands weren't there. Now cushion the ball with your thumb, index, and middle fingers in this diamond pattern on the way down. Let your knees bend too as the ball comes down. Don't let the ball contact your palms at all, just the tips of your fingers. You typically want the apex of your set to be 1-2 feet away from the net, and about 4 feet above it. Try to make the ball have little or no spin once it leaves your hands. Have your partner pass you the ball, and you set it back to him/her. If alone, you can pass the ball to yourself, then set it. Try to stay in one place.

   6. Practice hitting. First, just face your partner, and have him/her set or pass the ball to you so it's nice and high. When the ball leaves their hands, point to it with your weak hand, and pull your hitting hand back like you're pulling a bow and arrow- the back of your hand to your ear. When you're ready to hit it, extend your hand as far above you as you can, contacting the upper half of the ball with your open hand at the very top of your swing. The contact point is always in front of your head, not above it. Don't hit it hard at first, try to just control it to your partner's waiting platform. Hopefully he/she will just pop the ball back up, then you can set them for a hit. Once the timing is a little more natural, and you can contact the ball regularly the way you want, have your partner set you on the net, and practice hitting the ball over the net. Take one or two steps up to the net each time you hit (this helps you jump higher), and jump. Make sure to jump as high as you can, and contact the ball at the very top of your jump and swing. Snap your wrist so the ball will go down into the opposite court.

   7. Practice serving. Stand on the end line, toss the ball, and with an open overhand swing, lob the ball into the opposite court. Try to serve purposefully to all areas of your opponents' court. When you're feeling ambitious, you can take a few steps back, toss the ball higher, and try a jump serve. The swing is almost identical to a spike.

   8. Play a game! There are 2 different sets of rules. Traditional rules basicly mean that if you can only get a point if you served the ball, otherwise you just get the serve. These games usually go to 15. Rally scoring, which is used most often, is almost the oppostite. If you win the rally (volley), you get the point, no matter what. Most of the time you play to 25, but some younger teams may only play to 21. If the ball hits the ground in bounds, or one team can't get it to the other side in 3 touches, it's a point for the other team. Here's a link to a lot more rules: http://www.volleyball.org/rules

Tips

    * Passing is the most important skill. If you can control a hard spike or tough serve, and still pass the ball perfectly to your partner in the center of the court, the rest of the game becomes a lot easier.

    * Anticipation is the key to volleyball. Try to get your body in position and still before the ball gets there. Your passes, sets and blocks will improve immediately and dramatically.

    * To practice setting, you can set the ball to yourself off of a wall. It's a great shoulder workout, too.

    * Blocking is really only worth it when one or more players on the other team can hit the ball hard and in the court fairly consistently. When they hit the ball so hard you don't have enough time to react, then it's time to start worrying about blocking.

Warnings

    * Make sure to clear the court and any close surrounding areas of debris before you play. Lots of times you are looking up at the ball, and not where you're going.

    * True volleyball takes years of practice to get good. Don't expect to make even a middle school team if you've never been in a true game situation. Camps are good for learning technique, but they don't put as much pressure on you as if it was a game.

How to Bump a Volleyball

   1.  You should be in the ready position, prepared for the ball. To do this you should: Place your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then bend your knees, but keep them in line with your toes. Make sure to keep your arms in front of you. Finally, be ready to move in any direction and watch the ball.

   2. Hold your arms out straight in front of you, parallel to the ground. Join your hands and lock your elbows, thus making a flat platform for the ball with your forearms.

   3. When the ball comes your way, move to get under it. Bend your knees, remembering to keep your arms level. When the ball is right above your forearms, straighten your legs. This should cause the ball to go straight up, ready for one of your teammates to volley or smash it to the opposing team.

Tips

    * Remember, keep your arms straight and level. If you tilt your arms a little, the ball will go in the direction perpendicular to the angle of your arms. This can be done purposefully in order to hit the ball towards a teammate. Make sure that you have the ability to hit a straight bump so you can better control where the ball goes when you have to hit it in a game.

    * Practice is definitely necessary when learning the bump. A good way to practice is to bump a volleyball against a wall as many times as you can in a row.

Warnings

    * Be sure not to cross your thumbs. This could lead to injury if the ball accidently hits your hands.