Digs in Volleyball: Fundamental Techniques for Successful Defense

Digs in Volleyball: Fundamental Techniques for Successful Defense

This guide is designed to help players learn how to use their forearms to create a strong platform that deflects an attack and improves your digs in volleyball.

Digs In Volleyball: The dig volleyball skill is used by a digger who uses their forearms to create a platform to deflect an attack hit in the air to keep it off the court floor.

Welcome to my article dedicated to mastering the art of improving your digs in volleyball.

In this "how to" digging volleyball guide, I explain defense techniques and strategies to enhance your digging skills, with a focus on utilizing your forearms to keep attack hits off the floor.

Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the fundamentals or an experienced player aiming to improve your technique, my guide will provide valuable insights to help you excel in digging.

The act of getting more digs in volleyball means using your forearms as a platform to deflect or redirect a hard attack hit in the air, preventing it from landing on your team's court floor.

This defensive skill requires proper technique, knowing how to be in the right spot at the right time and quick reflexes to react swiftly to the opposing team's attacks.

The action of digging a ball is modeled after shoveling or digging something out of the ground with a shovel.

So in other words let me ask you again.

What is the definition of a dig in volleyball?

The dig is a digging volleyball skill

• used by a player in defense to
• keep the ball off the team's court floor
• using their forearms to deflect the ball back in the air 

once it has been attacked by an opposing team's hitter into your court.

To understand the technique of digging in volleyball, let's break it down into several key steps:

Begin by positioning yourself with a low and balanced stance, slightly bending your knees.

Be light on your feet, ready to move in any direction.

Positioning yourself while maintaining a balanced body position enables you to react swiftly to the incoming attacked ball.

Utilize the forearm pass, also known as the bump, as the standard technique for a dig.

Clasp your hands together, creating a flat surface with your forearms. This forms the platform to absorb the impact of the ball and direct it back into the air.

When the opposing team is in serve receive,

• BALL

-you should watch the ball passed by the passer that travels to the setter so you can read and interpret what the setter has to do in order to get to the pass

• SETTER

-then watch the setter's movements to see how they can get to the ball, if its easily or if they have to move to chase the ball down after a bad pass and that will tell you if the setter can set all their hitters or if they can only set one or two of their hitters

• BALL

-then train your eyes quickly back to the ball's trajectory out of the setter's hands to see if its a high ball outside or delivered low, fast and quick to the middle or to the opposite hitter behind them so you can adjust your feet quickly to get to your adjusted position outside the shadow of your blockers where you can see the hitter's arm when it hits the ball

Digs in Volleyball: ...then train your eyes quickly back to the ball's trajectory out of the setter's hands to see if its a high ball outside or delivered low, fast and quick to the middle or to the opposite hitter behind them so you can adjust your feet quickly to get to your adjusted position outside the shadow of your blockers where you can see the hitter's arm when it hits the ball (photo Ralph Aversen)

• HITTER

-Now finally train your eyes on the player's hitting arm as they contact the ball to see if they're going to direct the ball to your side of the court where your platformed arms and hands are quickly placed together to deflect the ball back into the air in order to keep it off the floor

This is how to anticipate the best position to be in to defend the attack based on the hitter's approach.

Before executing the dig, lower your hips to a level below the incoming ball, enabling better control and upward deflection.

As the ball approaches, focus your attention on the contact point of the ball, aiming to stay low while playing the ball and directing it upward toward the middle of your court.(photo Ralph Aversen)

As the ball approaches, focus your attention on the contact point of the ball, aiming to stay low while playing the ball and directing it upward toward the middle of your court.

By digging a ball, a player is keeping it from

• hitting the ground so the opposing team scores
• creates an opportunity for your team to counterattack and run an offense in an attempt to score during a rally 

A Digging Volleyball Tutorial: To dig a volleyball, its your job to place yourself in the path of the oncoming ball that's been hit by an opposing team's hitter.

To dig the volleyball you need to know where to stand in the court.

You can't dig what you can't see. 

So, you need to place yourself in a ready position in volleyball where you can watch the opposing hitter hit the ball into your court.

To dig a volleyball, its your job to place yourself in the path of the oncoming ball that's been hit by an opposing team's hitter. 

In order to do that (depending on the defense your team is running) you need to stand outside of the block where you can see the hitter hit the ball. 

That means you need to be standing outside of the shadow of your blockers but in the path of the oncoming ball. 

At the same time, you present your platform in front of you, you block the path of the ball so it contacts your forearms and is deflected up in the air towards the middle of your court close to your team's ten foot line. 

Lower your hips before you dig

Just before you dig a ball, you lower your hips so they are below the level of the oncoming ball.

When your hips are lower than the ball when you dig the ball ...it will go up in the air.  

If your hips are too high then you have less control of the ball and the ball will shoot straight out instead of up in the air.

When you dig a ball it needs to go up in the air so the setter or another teammate can get to it to make a play. 

Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience. These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis. Sign up now!

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I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list. 

Okay here's where you need to go now! There are three options: 

1. Learn more  Digging Volleyball Tips and Defense by clicking the Related Links below. .
2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
3. Or visit the pages in the How to Play Volleyball section in the drop down menu at the top of the page to get started. 
4. Before leaving this page Say "Hi" to Miss O.I Gotchu the Octopus wearing the #8 jersey below.  Miss O.I. is the libero for the All Beast VolleyBragSwag All Star team.

The digging volleyball skill is used by diggers who use their forearms to create a platform to deflect an attack hit in the air to keep it off the court floor.

1. Improve Your Volleyball Performance with Private Volleyball Coach April Chapple
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2. Volleyball Tips on Playing Better and Improving Your Basic Skills  ›
3. Digs in Volleyball: Fundamental Techniques for Successful Defense
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