How to: Pass a Volleyball Have you ever watched a volleyball game and wondered how the players can control the ball so well with just their forearms? Have you ever played volleyball and continually shanked passes and not understood why? Here is how to pass a volleyball correctly, and a few tips and tricks to help along the way. The most basic touch on a ball in the game of volleyball is a forearm pass. It is commonly referred to as a bump or pass. Although setting and hitting are also passes they are much different. The first thing young volleyball athletes learn is to forearm pass. This is a great skill to learn that can benefit anyone at any positon in the game. Whether you are playing Division I volleyball or booster volleyball you will see this movement executed consistently. The main material you will need to do this is just a volleyball, you may also want a friend or partner to make this fun. The most common brands of volleyballs are Tachikara and Molten. If you are playing in a game situation you will need a gym, a net, two teams, and a uniform. A normal uniform will consist of volleyball shoes, mid-calf socks, knee pads, spandex, and a jersey. The brands that will sell these things are brands like Nike, Mizuno, Under Armour, and Asics. Prices on each of these items range depending on the brand and quality of the product. . While reading keep in mind this all depends on you and your abilities. Some people may not be able to do this, you will need to have some athletic ability in order to pass a volleyball. Without further ado here are four steps that can teach you how to pass a volleyball.

1. Hand Grips- There are two main ways you can hold your hands in order to have a solid pass. Both of these ways create a flat platform on your forearms, it is just personal preference on what is comfortable. The biggest thing in hand grips is to make sure that no knuckles or fingers are going to change the balls path after contact. a. Fold-The first way to hold your hands is to place both of your hands on top of each other facing opposite directions. Think about making a plaid print with your fingers if this is confusing. Next fold your thumbs over so that they are facing away from you, making your forearms flat. b. Cup- Another way to hold your hands is to make your right hand give a thumbs up. Then wrap your left hand around your right. Place your thumbs on top facing away, creating a flat platform out of your forearms.

2. Footing/Positioning- The next important component to passing a ball is your footing. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart, or maybe further. Keep your weight towards the front of your feet. Don’t stand on only the front of your feet, just be in a position where you can move quickly. Stand in a what would be considered an athletic stance—bend at your waist and knees, shoulders forward, arms tight by your side.

3. Getting to the Ball- A common phrase used while passing is “beat the ball.” This phrase means that you should be under the ball and ready to pass before the ball arrives there. When going to a ball coming at you it is very important to stay low and tight. By saying this I mean that you should say in your athletic stance and keep your feet on the floor. Some people may have a tendency to jump or get off balance when getting to the ball. You can always go further on your feet than you think. Another tip is to move quickly to the ball, then extend your arms. A good way to practice this is to have a partner toss you a ball. Before your arms contact the ball take them apart and let the ball bounce. The ball should bounce between your legs and through. This will show if you are too far up on a ball, the ball will hit your body. On the other hand, if you were too slow moving to the ball the ball will not bounce through.

4. Contacting the Ball- Now on to contacting the ball. You should already be under the ball and it should be about the level of your head. The ball should contact your forearms/platform, meaning the area between your wrists and elbows on each arm. Let the ball hit your arms and bounce off. The ball should contact the lower part of your forearm. The slower the ball is coming at you, the more you are going to have to push it. The ball has less momentum, so when it is passed it will need you to add momentum by moving your arms a little. In order to make the ball go somewhere, you might have to have a slight shrug. If it is a hard hit ball you aren’t going to have to move your arms at all, you might even have to absorb the momentum of the ball. The momentum of the ball is strong enough to ricochet the ball off your arms. Make sure that you are set and when the ball hits your arms you do not swing. This makes you lose control of the ball and it is going to get popped up to the celling. A good way to practice your contact point is to hold your form after you have contacted the ball. If you have swung your arms they will be higher than where you contacted the ball. There should be very little difference between where your arms are when you are holding your form and where your arms were at contact.

5. Getting the Ball to a Target- Once you have mastered passing the ball strait, try and move your target area to bump the ball to. Normally the first contact on the ball is going to be a pass and you are going to want to get the ball to the setter. The setter is most commonly found in the front right corner of the volleyball court. In order to pass the ball there, you need to use all the steps above. The key to this step is to make sure you fully get in front of the ball, or around it depending on where you are on the court, and aim your arms and follow through towards where you want the ball to go. Make sure you are facing your target when the ball contacts your platform. These are the steps that are most commonly used to pass a volleyball. If you really want to learn and improve on your passing keep following these steps. Hopefully these instructions and tips helped you. Good luck on your passing, I hope this improves it!