Better at Beach
3 mistakes keeping you from spiking with power
Approach, arm swing and contact point.
Adult training · Week of October 5
Attacking night
Mondays and Thursdays, 6:30 – 7:30 pm at Elevate in Bonita Springs. Same plan both nights — come to one or both.
Week of October 5 · one-hour session
Attacking night
Monday and Thursday this week we train attacking: three drills, then Queen & King of the Court. All levels welcome.
Sessions
Monday, October 5
Thursday, October 8
Time
6:30 – 7:30 pm
Where
Sports Challenge America (Elevate), 28120 Race Track Road, Bonita Springs
0:00 – 0:05
Skill explanation
Scoring in the sand is shot selection plus a repeatable swing. Tonight we clean up the approach and arm path, then add the cut and the high line so the defense has to cover the whole court.
- Consistent approach footwork and take-off point
- High contact, elbow leading, wrist finishing the shot
- Look at the defender before you swing
- Two shots minimum, so nothing is predictable
The hour
Session plan
No warm-up — we start on the ball. Three drills, fifteen minutes each, then we compete.
- 6:30 pm – 6:35 pm5 min
Attacking — coach explanation
Scoring in the sand is shot selection plus a repeatable swing. Tonight we clean up the approach and arm path, then add the cut and the high line so the defense has to cover the whole court.
- 6:35 pm – 6:50 pm15 min
Approach + Standing Swings
Intermediate · 1 ball per pair, Cones for approach start lines
Why: Lock in the 3-step beach approach and a full high-contact arm swing.
- Approach: left-right-left (right-handed). Toss → 3 steps → jump → swing. 5 reps each then switch.
- Coach emphasis: Contact the ball at full reach — high point, not in front of the chest.
- 6:50 pm – 7:05 pm15 min
Cut Shot & High Line
Intermediate · 6 balls per court, Cones marking cut and line targets
Why: Teach the two highest-percentage beach shots: short cross (cut) and deep line.
- Coach feeds. Athlete approaches, calls 'cut' or 'line' before swing, executes shot. 8 reps each.
- Coach emphasis: Same approach, same arm — change only the wrist.
- 7:05 pm – 7:20 pm15 min
Stable Attack vs. Defense
Intermediate · Box, Full court
Why: Isolated attacker-vs-defenders pressure rep — high contact point, full court except one zone.
- P1 self-tosses a high ball (simulated set) and attacks for a point. Cannot hit into the cross-court cut zone. Defense scores on attack errors or returning the ball with 3 touches. Attacker scores otherwise. Mini-games to 7. At higher levels, defense can hide their formation until after the toss.
- Coach emphasis: Use the high contact point — pick the gap, don't just swing hard.
- 7:20 pm – 7:30 pm10 min
Queen & King of the Court
Every session ends the same way: continuous Queen & King of the Court. Challengers serve in, winners hold the King/Queen side, losers rotate off. Competitive reps that put the night's skill under real pressure.
- Challenger side serves; winner of the rally moves toward the King/Queen side
- Lose on the King/Queen side and you rotate off to the back of the challenger line
- Points only count when you win on the King/Queen side
- Play until time — highest score wins the night
Watch before you play
Attacking videos
Two minutes of video before practice makes the drills click faster. Press play right here.
Better at Beach
The secrets to a perfect cut shot
The highest-percentage shot on the beach.
The McKibbin Brothers
The batter's box attacking tip
Where to be so every shot stays available.
Other weeks