Defense · Intermediate

One-Arm Dig

The objective of this drill is for athletes to get practice at controlling digs using only one arm.

How to run it

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In this drill the defender gets low and dives for balls that are hit just outside of area that can be covered by a two-handed dig. The area that the athlete or coach should be aiming for is indicated by the thin red lines. Start with slower attacks and work up towards faster. Initially it may be beneficial to get the defender to try to dig the ball directly over the net as if playing the ball like they have a tennis racket in their hand. Once they have this mastered they can work on directing the ball up and keeping it on their own side of the net.
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Coach emphasis: Keep defense reps game-like and technically clean.

The objective of this drill is for athletes to get practice at controlling digs using only one arm.

Keep building

Teach defensive base position and reading the attacker's body for shot vs. swing.

Train the diagonal defensive shift — defender reads the attacker and moves to the gap before contact.

Train the blocker-to-defender peel — pull off the net, find the seam, and play defense.

High-volume cross-court digging — defender works the diagonal between two attackers continuously.

Train the blocker-to-defender transition through a fixed 6-ball sequence covering every common attack scenario.

Train defense through coach tip chase to target with a clear rep structure and game-like feedback.

Many of our drills are adapted from the coaching resources at Better at Beach and the FIVB.

Give us a call, send an email, or just stop by one of our events and chat with a coach.