Athletic Sand Volleyball Player Serving the Ball

The Top 3 Exercises to Improve Your Sand Volleyball Game

Sand Volleyball is a unique sport that requires both strength and agility. Getting more experience on the sand volleyball court is crucial, but there are also key exercises you can do off the court to supercharge your performance. 

The ideal sand volleyball exercise regimen will include both upper and lower body strength training, and agility training. 

In this post, Volleyball Beach in Ozark, MO, shares 3 important exercises to help you improve your sand volleyball game. 

1. Ball Slams to Improve Serving and Spiking

Some of the most exciting power-moves in sand volleyball are serves and spikes. But how do you train for these unique movements? 

Ball slams utilize your shoulders, arms and abs, and effectively mimic the downward motion of spiking and serving. 

Ball slams involve holding a weighted medicine ball over your head and thrusting it downward to complete one repetition. How many reps you’ll do depends on your current health, level of fitness and goals. 

2. Jump Squats to Improve Jump Height and Leg Strength

Jumping and squatting are two very fundamental movements in sand volleyball–why not combine them for the perfect conditioning exercise?

Jump squats are performed by squatting with your hands by your sides and then exploding upward, jumping with your toes pointed and pelvis forward, then landing softly and using the momentum to dip down for your next rep. 

Performing jump squats on a regular basis will tone and strengthen the muscles you use while jumping on the court, including your glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. 

3. Agility Drills for Better Balance and Reflexes

One of the toughest aspects of sand volleyball is learning to maneuver through sand, quickly and effectively. Playing in sand naturally slows down your movements, so performing drills for agility will help increase your speed. 

There are different drills you can choose from:

Box drills: improve both agility and mental focus, and involve jumping in and out boxes (usually a rope or cloth ladder laid flat on the ground) in a chosen pattern. 

Lateral shuffle: This exercise, done in the sand, involves setting up two markers 15-20 feet apart and shuffling sideways in between them, back and forth. This exercise mimics very common movements during sand volleyball.  

Sand Sprints: These exercises involve placing markers in the sand and running back and forth between them. This helps you practice acceleration, pivoting and stopping, and will help increase your speed through sand. 

Related Post: 5 Amazing Benefits of Joining a Sand Volleyball League 

3. Play Sand Volleyball at Volleyball Beach Ozark

One of the best ways to improve your sand volleyball game is to join a league! At Volleyball Beach in Ozark, MO, we have leagues for beginners as well as experienced players. Head out to our Ozark, MO location to sign your team up today. Come and visit us in person, contact us online or give us a call at 417-771-9330.