Volleyball Training Aids
Volleyball is a game that requires a lot of practice in order to become skilled. While most athletes on teams can practice with the help of coaches and other players, it is not always easy to get help. Training aids are a great tool for volleyball players to use in order to fine-tune their skills.
What Are Volleyball Training Aids Used For?
Volleyball training aids are pieces of equipment designed to help a volleyball player practice different skills. Training aids can help a player develop volleyball techniques, such as serving, blocking, and hitting. While some of these training aids can be used with partners or multiple players, most of them are designed for an individual player to use by themselves. This helps when a player wants to practice outside of scheduled practice time or during the offseason.
Training aids can also be used in practice to help players practice more precision, which is not always developed through game-like situations. Different tools such as passing targets or stationary blockers will often require the player to practice a skill with a high level of precision and difficulty.
Things to Consider
When looking for a volleyball training aid, you'll want to consider the following:
- What skill level of volleyball are you playing?
- Where will you be using the training aid?
- What skills are you looking to practice?
- How much money do you want to spend on a training aid?
Types
The different types of volleyball training aids include spike trainers, serving trainer straps, and blockers.
Spike Trainers
Spike trainers are mainly designed to help volleyball players practice spiking the ball. They place the ball in a set position above the net and allow the player to practice different parts of their approach and swing without worrying about a poor set. While these are mainly used for spiking, they can also be used to practice serving. Simple spike trainers can cost as low as $30, while more advanced pieces can go for almost $1,000. The average price for a good quality spike trainer is around $300.
Serving Trainer Straps
Serving trainer straps are designed with the intent of improving a volleyball player’s serve. These straps wrap around the player’s waist and are attached to a volleyball via an elastic cord. The player can throw the ball in the air and serve like normal without the ball going far. This helps when having to practice in a small space or without people to retrieve the ball. Server training straps are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased for anywhere between $5-$20.
Blockers
Volleyball blockers have a few different functions. They attach to the net and are an obstacle that mimics an opposing team blocking the ball. They help a hitter practice hitting through, above, or around a block. They also allow the hitting team to practice defending when the spike is successfully blocked. Volleyball blockers can range in price from just under $100 to upwards of $200, depending on the quality of the equipment and the brand that produces it.
FAQ
How do you set up volleyball training aids?
Each training aid requires its own type of setup. Serving straps may be preassembled and just require the user to attach a ball and their waist to the straps. Others will be more elaborate and require the user to follow an instruction manual to build the item. A lot of the foldable training aids will only require the user to quickly fold the piece of equipment after each use.
Can you use a volleyball training aid by yourself?
Many training aids are meant to be used alone. Some of the aids like serving straps and spike trainers will allow the user to practice without requiring anyone else. Other aids like blockers can be used alone, but are not as effective compared to their use in a team setting.
What are the benefits of using volleyball training equipment?
Volleyball training aids have a variety of different benefits. They allow a volleyball player to practice different skills while alone or in a limited space. Training aids also allow the user to focus on minor details, while not worrying about human error or other parts of their game. Using a mixture of training aids and game-like situations will help a volleyball player perfect their game.