Controlled Partner Passing Volleyball Passing Drill
Start by passing the ball back and forth. One person is on the ten foot line and the other three feet inside the end line or back court line. .The person closest to the net, on the ten foot line, is the control âtargetâ partner. .
This is the âtargetâ person who never moves and where the partner who is working needs to get the ball to. .
As a volleyball coach specializing in partner passing drills, I've helped countless players overcome these exact challenges through focused ball control development.
Partner passing drills are my specialty - they're the foundation of the training I provide to my private clients and Vegas Volley 18s guys and girls club teams.
Through years of working with pairs of players, I've created and refined my own drills to help players who want to improve their passing accuracy but don't know where to start.
Since becoming head coach of Vegas Volley 18s teams in November 2024, I've seen how these partner drills transform players who were once uncertain about their passing into confident ball control specialists.
Whether you're fighting for a starting position or trying to earn more playing time, these drills will help you develop the consistent passing skills coaches look for.
Let me share the same partner passing progressions captured by 'Shots by Shanty' Shantalle Demerjian during our December practices - proven drills that have helped my high school and club players earn spots on college rosters.
These aren't just repetitive exercises; they're focused skill-builders that address the specific passing challenges you're facing right now.
Struggling to get your passes to target?
Let's start with the fundamental partner passing setup I use in every training session - it's the same progression that helped my Vegas Volley players overcome their accuracy issues...
These volleyball partner passing drills our players do in our semi private training classes and as homework to do at home.
It takes partner passing and ball control practice to the next level.
My #Freeballpassingchallenge...
Beck and Kate kill it when I challenge them to a passing patience drill.
(Volume up) Touch the Floor-floor-shoulder-shoulder-quarter turn and back... then pass a free ball to your partner...using precise passing technique...
...so no swinging the arms above the belly button. no standing up and no shoulders behind your hips...
How many things can you do before passing a free ball to your passing partner .. ..while keeping good passing technique ... AND getting the ball to your targets head.. without making them move?
Lmk .. dm me...
Good luck!
(Volume up)
Floor-floor-shoulder-shoulder-quarter turn and back - then pass... watch how much time you have before you pass a free ball..,
Had some fun today with Katelyn ... adding some variety to our partner passing drills with Becky
Just working on being patient.. and not rising up to pass but seeing how much time you have ...before passing the ball.. if you quicken your upper and lower body movements.
Volleyball drills, although some time monotonous are
Whether you do drills at home by yourself, or doing them in practice with your teammates, it's best to get in the habit of setting mini goals for yourself to reach in order to complete each drill.
For example, let's say you have to get 50 perfectly passed balls to the target before stopping one drill and going on to the next. Not only will you discipline yourself to perform the volleyball drills correctly, but you will replicate the pressure you will feel in a game-like situation when you absolutely have to do the skill right.
Here are drills for players to start improving ball control.
Start by passing the ball back and forth. One person is on the ten foot line and the other three feet inside the end line or back court line. . . The person closest to the net, on the ten foot line, is the control âtargetâ partner.
. . This is the âtargetâ person who never moves and where the partner who is working needs to get the ball to. . . If youâre the âworkingâ partner then your job is to get the ball to the head of the âtargetâ without making the target move.
Being able to get the ball right to the target you are aiming forâŠwithout the target moving⊠is what you are practicing to do. Get the ball to the targetâŠwithout the target having to move. . .
Now that you're developing more consistent straight-ahead passing, let's tackle another common challenge - moving to off-target serves.
This lateral movement drill has helped countless players stop getting caught flat-footed during serve receive...
Tired of getting aced on short serves or struggling with deep balls?
This next progression specifically addresses those challenging serves that force you to move forward and backward.
My Vegas Volley players used these exact drills to improve their court coverage...
The control partner passes a high ball 6-8 feet in the air. The âworking partnerâ takes 2-3 steps forward to get feet and hips to the ball and passes the ball to the control partner after which they back pedal 2 -3 big steps backwards to pass a deep ball from the âcontrol partnerâ.
If you're having trouble maintaining control while moving, this advanced variation will help.
It's the same drill that transformed my players from hesitant passers into confident ball control specialists who can handle any serve...
The control partner passes a high ball to themself then to the working partner who passes a high ball to themselves then does a half turn to back bump the ball to the target partnerâŠwithout making them move. .
These partner passing drills have helped my Vegas Volley players and private clients overcome their passing challenges and develop into confident ball control specialists. If you're ready to continue improving, these drills are just the beginning of your development.
Want to expand your passing skills further? Check out my recently updated articles on '4 Passing Drills For Volleyball' and 'How to Pass a Volleyball' for more solutions to common passing problems.
Ready to transform your passing technique?
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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.
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