Defense · Beginner
Towel Defense
This drill develops a defenders ability to react to a soft shot after it is hit and chase it down. Often defenders are lured into anticipating, and moving before the shot is played only to be caught going in the wrong direction. A better tactic against players with less than perfect shots (or on a windy day) is to employ the tactic reinforced by this drill, which is to wait for the shot to be played then chase it down.
How to run it
- 1
A towel or blanket is placed over net so defender cannot see the attacker. A ball is then tossed and hit over the towel. Initially the ball could be only hit line and angle but the drill could progress towards the ball being hit anywhere on the court. Keep in mind that there would be a blocker present, so you'll have to hit the ball high enough to simulate a normal play. In the case of this play the defender would normally stay middle of the court so that they are in a equally good position to get to a ball hit into any area of the court. In order for a coach to see what is happening on defense it will be necessary for them to have a athlete throw (or hit) the ball over the net and position themselves behind the defender.
- 2
Coach emphasis: Athletes need to remain relaxed but ready, and only
Why we run it
This drill develops a defenders ability to react to a soft shot after it is hit and chase it down. Often defenders are lured into anticipating, and moving before the shot is played only to be caught going in the wrong direction. A better tactic against players with less than perfect shots (or on a windy day) is to employ the tactic reinforced by this drill, which is to wait for the shot to be played then chase it down.
Keep building
More defense drills
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View drillSoft High-Ball Option Training
This drill gives athletes a number of repetitions of the basic techniques for playing the soft shot above the head.
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View drillDefensive Read & Dig
Teach defensive base position and reading the attacker's body for shot vs. swing.
View drill4 Steps to Paradise
Train the diagonal defensive shift — defender reads the attacker and moves to the gap before contact.
View drillPeel and Play Stations
Train the blocker-to-defender peel — pull off the net, find the seam, and play defense.
View drillMany of our drills are adapted from the coaching resources at Better at Beach and the FIVB.
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