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Agility
Learn to brake, drill the footwork volleyball uses, then add a cue so you have to read the play before you move.
Why Improve Your Agility for Volleyball?
Agility in volleyball is how quickly you read the play, brake, turn, and reach a ball when you don't know where it's going until the last moment. Most of it happens in a step or two, sideways or backward, often right after you land.
TL:DR
- Agility means reading the play and then moving.
- Keep drills short. Most volleyball movement happens within a few meters.
- Learn to stop and start. Every change of direction starts with a stop.
- Drill the volleyball patterns: drop step, shuffle, hip turn, and block footwork.
- Add a cue such as a coach's hand, a tossed ball, or a live hitter.
- Train it when you're fresh, 2 to 3 times a week in the off-season, and fold it into practice in-season.
Agility and change of direction
These two terms sound alike:
- Change of direction is a planned move. You know where the cone is and when to cut.
- Agility is the same kind of move made in response to something, like a ball, a hitter's arm, or a teammate's touch.
In a study of 76 trained athletes, being quick at a planned movement didn't mean being quick at the same movement done in response to a light. The two behaved like separate skills[1], so you need to train both.
Step 1: Train short distances
Most changes of direction in volleyball happen within 3 to 5 meters[2], and many of them are sideways or backward over just 1 or 2 meters. Use short drills, lots of sideways and backward movement, and plenty of starts from a ready stance. Skip the 40-meter sprints.
Step 2: Test your starting point
Pick one change-of-direction test and repeat the same one every few weeks:
- T-test: Sprint forward, shuffle left, shuffle right, shuffle back to the middle, then backpedal to the start. A shorter, modified version is closer to the distances volleyball players cover.
- 5-10-5 (pro agility): Start in the middle, sprint 5 yards one way, 10 yards the other way, and 5 yards back.
There's no well-established test for reading the play yet. Film one of the reaction drills from Step 5 every few weeks and compare.
Step 3: Learn to brake
Hard braking puts high, fast-rising forces through your legs, and it's a different skill from accelerating. A review of braking in team sports recommends practicing it regularly and building the leg strength to control it, especially strength while your muscles lengthen under load[3].
- Lower your hips as you slow down. Use short, choppy steps instead of one big stomp.
- Plant your outside foot and keep that knee pointing over your toes.
- Lean your upper body slightly toward where you're going next.
Keeping your knee from caving in may lower ACL risk without slowing you down, and leaning toward your next direction helps with both. Very narrow foot placement and very deep, soft landings can cost speed, so don't overdo either one[4].
Drills to use: sprint 3 meters and stop in a balanced stance, shuffle 2 steps and stick, then progress to stop-and-go (stop, then explode in a new direction).
Step 4: Drill the volleyball patterns
These movements show up in almost every rally:
- Drop step: For a ball dropping in short. Step back with one foot so you can push off it and explode forward.
- Lateral shuffle: Side to side without crossing your feet. Push from the outside leg and pull with the inside leg.
- Hip turn: For a ball going over your head. Push off your front foot and open your hips instead of pivoting on both feet. If your first steps curve, your hips didn't open enough.
Middles and outsides also need to move along the net fast. Use a step-close (side-step, then bring your feet together) for short distances and a crossover (open, cross over, and plant) for longer ones.
Practice every pattern in both directions. Most players are faster one way, so find your slower side and give it extra reps. On the block, reach straight up and land on two feet with your knees bent. The plyometrics guide explains why leaning sideways strains the knee.
Step 5: Add the read
Once your footwork is clean, make it reactive:
- Planned: You know the direction ahead of time.
- Simple cue: A coach points or calls a direction.
- Volleyball cue: A coach tosses or tips a ball, or a teammate fakes a set.
- Live: A hitter attacks, and you read and move. The digging guide covers the defensive skills.
Across 28 studies, mostly in soccer and basketball, agility training improved reaction-based agility. The best results came from programs lasting 7 to 8 weeks, with sessions of about 20 to 25 minutes. The authors recommend using people as cues where you can, because in a game you react to players, not lights[5].
Train reads when you're fresh. In volleyball players, physical fatigue slowed jumps and agility times, and mental fatigue slowed reactions[6].
Agility routine
Do agility after your warm-up and before lifting or conditioning. The warm-up guide has a routine that fits.
Off-season (6 to 8 weeks)
| Day | Session (about 20 minutes) |
|---|---|
| Mon | Braking and patterns: braking drills 4 x 3, drop steps and hip turns 3 x 3 each way, with a cue |
| Wed | Block footwork: step-close and crossover 4 x 3 each way, then with a coach pointing |
| Fri | Live reads: coach tips and tosses, 2-on-1 defense drills, short sets with full rest |
Rest 30 to 60 seconds between reps. Every rep should be full speed, and when you start slowing down, stop.
In-season
- Fold 5 to 10 minutes of shuffles, hip turns, and reaction cues into practice warm-ups twice a week.
- Lean on live drills. Defense and transition drills already train reading and moving.
- Avoid high-volume agility work the day before a match.
Common mistakes
- Only doing cone drills. They make you good at cones.
- Running drills that are too long. Volleyball movement covers 1 to 5 meters.
- Practicing tired. Slow reps teach slow habits.
- Ignoring your slower side.
- Never practicing braking on purpose.
For the repeated efforts a long rally demands, pair this with conditioning.