How to Hand Pass a Volleyball

Like any stance in volleyball (or any sport for that matter) it is very important to position your self in a balanced and stable posture. Generally in volleyball this is called the ready position. To dig a hard driven ball with your hands, it is imperative that you are in the ready position, but instead of having your feet almost parallel, they will be staggered - about a foot and a half apart. It does not matter which foot is in front, as long as you are comfortable with your position.

Now a hard driven ball is exactly what it sounds like. The ball will be coming towards you at full speed, so you must be ready to dig it instantly. Place your hands up early, in front of your forehead. Note that when you set a ball, you try to make the shape of the ball so you can absorb it, then push it out. However, when volleying a spike it is very difficult to absorb the ball, so instead we place our hands in a flat but firm position.

As the ball comes to you, do not try to absorb it. Instead, push a little towards the ball. The idea here is to not have a "clean" volleyball. If you hear a small thump, that's a good thing. With a volley-set, you should aim to make contact with the ball at your finger tips. This may not always happen when volleying a hard driven pass and that is OK. Your palm, or fore-fingers may also make contact.

Lastly, it is important that you direct the ball towards where you want it to go. You will most likely not have time to shift your body to face your target, so instead we compromise and follow through with our hands towards where we want the ball to go. Additionally, step with your front foot towards the target.

4 main steps listed above:

1. Maintain a balanced posture with your weight forward and your feet staggered about a foot and a half apart.

2. Place your hands up early and hold them in a flat but firm position.

3. As the ball comes towards you, do not try to absorb it but instead push towards it. This will not be a "clean" volley. You should hear a thump.

4. Follow through with your hands, and step with your front foot towards your target.