How To Dig A Volleyball Cover More Court and Touch More Backrow Balls

In this article I coach coaches on teaching players how to dig a volleyball by watching the ball, the setter, the ball and then the hitter, also called BSBH.

How To Dig A Volleyball: Dig volleyball spikes that are close to you or are 2-3 away by using the correct technique.

Hello coaches! Today, I will dive into the technical world of coaching the digging skill to your players.

I'll break down each phase of the dig, emphasizing the key elements of body positioning, footwork, and hand placement.

By following this step-by-step guide, your players will be equipped to dig balls and to defend against hard spikes in order to stay in control of the defense game.

Step 1: Proper Body Positioning

How to Dig in Volleyball:

To dig a volleyball up in defense you keep an attacked ball by the opposing team off your court floor by extending your arms and hands under the ball to deflect it back in the air before it hits the floor.

First, stress the importance of maintaining a low and balanced stance.

Encourage your players to bend their knees slightly, keeping their weight evenly distributed.

This base stance provides stability and quick reactions to respond to incoming balls coming from any direction.

Encourage them to anticipate and to read the direction of the attack and adjust their positioning accordingly.

By being in the right place at the right time, they can maximize their chances of executing a successful dig.

Keeping your platform arms a ball’s distance away from your body and
putting your hands together once you’ve landed in your adjusted defensive position

is the key to touching more balls hit right at you and controlling those balls so they’re more likely to reach their target .

Teach your players to position themselves in the best spot to react swiftly to the incoming ball.

Step 2: Precise Footwork and Quick Reflexes

Emphasize the significance of precise footwork and quick reflexes.

Instruct your players to be light on their feet and in a balanced position ready to move in any direction.

Teach them to position themselves in the optimal spot to react swiftly to the incoming ball.

Basic Volleyball Drills: The 'Hit and Dig" volleyball drill is used in warmups to improve hitting technique and digging technique skills.

The "Hit and Dig" drill is one of the basic volleyball drills we do in our practices, classes and semi-private volleyball training.

To develop precise footwork, make sure you incorporate specific footwork drills into your training sessions.

Include exercises that focus on agility, lateral movements, and quick directional changes.

By regularly practicing these drills, your players will improve their footwork, enabling them to quickly adjust their position and reach the ball effectively.

Additionally, emphasize the importance of staying light on their feet.

4 Digging Drills For Volleyball Players Like A Fun Game of Hitter vs. Digger - Winner scores 10 points First

A fun game of Hitter vs. Digger: Winner scores 10 points

First the Hitter hits hard deep cross court and scores a point when digger can’t touch it or digs an unplayable ball.

Digger scores a point when they dig a playable ball.

For beginners, hitter errors may not count but for more advanced players hits in the net or out of bounds are points scored for the digger.

Encourage your players to stay on the balls of their feet, allowing them to react swiftly to any sudden changes during the digging process.

This lightness and alertness will make a significant difference in their ability to cover more court and successfully defend against hard spikes.

Step 3: Correct Hand Placement - The Forearm Pass

Press both wrists together when passing, without breaking them apart no matter how hard or easy the serve.

Be sure to explain the primary technique for successful digs - the forearm pass.

Guide your players on how to form a solid platform by clasping the hands together and creating a flat surface with their forearms.

Reinforce the importance of maintaining a firm but relaxed grip to absorb the impact of the ball.

Step 4: Angling the Platform

Highlight the role of angling the platform correctly to control the direction of the dig.

Instruct your players to angle the platform towards their intended target area while keeping their shoulder over their knees.

This angling will help direct the ball to the desired location within your team's court.

Step 5: Reacting to the Incoming Ball

Lastly, stress the importance of using quick reflexes to react to the incoming ball.

Encourage your players to track the ball closely with their eyes, focusing on its trajectory and speed.

Remind them to react instantly, adjusting their positioning and timing their platform to make a successful dig.

Conclusion

Coaches, by following this step-by-step guide, you will give your players a solid education and working knowledge about the proper technique for digging a volleyball.

Be sure to emphasize the

to keep hard spikes off your team's floor.

Regular practice and reinforcement of these fundamentals will greatly enhance your players' defensive skills, allowing them to confidently control while digging hard attacked balls during matches.

Use your expertise and encouragement to guide your players through each step, which will help create a sense of confidence and improvement in their digging abilities.

How To Dig A Volleyball Hit Hard And Fast By The Opposing Team's Spikers

Coaches let your players know that

whether the ball comes right at you,
lands close to you or
if you have to take 2 -3 steps to run down a ball,

the Ball-Setter-Ball-Hitter digging techniques taught in our Boot Camp classes help you cover more court and get more balls up in defense by knowing how to be in the right place at the right time.

Here's what you should teach your players in order to anticipate where you need to be in order to dig volleyballs hit into your court.

How To Dig A Volleyball With BSBH
Watch The Ball. Then The Setter. Then Back To The Ball... Then The Hitter

After your team has served the ball over the net....

BALL

1. Watch the pass as the other team passes the ball to their setter.

SETTER

2. Then watch the setter to see how and who she's going to set the ball to.

BALL

3. Watch the ball as it travels to the hitter.

HITTER

4. Watch the hitter to interpret quickly the best place for you to be while in the back row behind your blockers.

5. Make sure you are not behind the blockers and that you can see the hitter clearly as she hits the ball into your court.

How To Dig A Volleyball Cover More Court and Touch More Backrow Balls (Photo by Fossil Mike)

Then shift your eyes to watch the ball as it comes towards you.

You are lowering your hips at the same time so they are below the level of the oncoming ball, which helps you

direct the ball into the air and
keeps it on your team's side of the net once you contact the ball with your platform.

This technique of how to use your eyes to track the ball when its on the opposing team's side so that you know where to place yourself in defense so that you can dig an attack to your side of the court is called...

BALL - SETTER - BALL - HITTER

By keeping the ball on your side of the net, now its your team's turn to run an offensive play.

Now, its your team's turn to send the ball to the opposing team's court floor so your squad scores a point.

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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.

How To Dig A Volleyball:
Where Do You Go Now?

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

Learn how to dig volleyball spikes, Digging and Defenseby clicking the Related Links below. .
Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
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.
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.

Learn how to dig a volleyball by watching the ball, the setter, the ball and then the hitter when the opposing team attacks the ball, to be in the right place.