Last Updated: January 16, 2024
It’s never easy to become the greatest digging and diving maestro in the game of volleyball. Ask any pro out there and they will tell you that it takes blood, sweat, and tears to get there. Fortunately, with patience and determination, this is something you can achieve over time.
In the following few paragraphs, I analyze some ideas that can help you in your journey to becoming a digging and diving maestro this year.
1. Nail the Basics
The journey to being the greatest starts with mastering the basics. You want to start by learning the basic rules and regulations of the sport. Also, you want to familiarize yourself with all the basic techniques of playing volleyball namely:
- Serving
- Receiving and passing
- Blocking
- Setting
- Spiking
All these are central to becoming a well-rounded player.
2. Ensure You’re Physically Fit
The game of volleyball requires a great deal of flexibility, coordination, and physical strength. As such, you need to be in good shape if you want to become the best at it. So, right from the onset you want to ensure that you’re working out through strength training, cardiovascular workouts, and agility drills.
A good diet is also crucial in the attainment of this objective.
3. A Solid Base for Your Digging & Diving
To become a digging and diving maestro this year and beyond you want to start by mastering the digging and diving fundamentals. It all begins with watching the pros do their thing. You can also take advantage of online tutorials to acquire some skills on your own.
Above all, it always pays to work with a professional coach who can help you learn and incorporate the required skills.
To become great at digging the ball you need to work on things like posture, positioning, and footwork. Some of these are best acquired with a coach or through practicing as a team.
4. Be in The Right Gear
Yup, you read that right. The right gear for volleyball is designed to maximize your performance and safety. Invest in the right equipment and apparel including things like knee pads and volleyball shoes – all meant to protect you during dives.
Above all, you will want to make sure that your apparel is comfortable and that it allows you to enjoy a full range of motion.
5. Work on your Reflexes and Reaction Time
To be a great volleyballer, it is necessary to rely on good reflexes as this game is always about being able to respond quickly and accurately. The best way to achieve this is by participating in the appropriate drills especially ones that mimic real-game situations.
You particularly want to work on your hand-eye coordination and also your reaction times. These two can be improved by carrying out regular digging and diving drills or by using specialized equipment, like a reaction ball or agility ladder.
You can also work on your reaction time by practicing with a coach who can hit the balls at you at various angles and speeds.
6. Aim to Be One Step Ahead
Good reflexes and a fantastic reaction time alone may not be enough to make you a digging and diving pro. Take your game a notch higher by building on your ability to anticipate the attacker’s next move. Also, the ability to determine the trajectory of the ball is key for a successful defense.
Always be sure to study the game, so you can also read the opponent’s body language and correctly anticipate the direction of the ball.
Recommended read: The Impact of Digging and Diving in Volleyball
7. Work on Your Passing Skills
The whole essence of digging and diving is to be able to keep the ball in the field of play – to continue the rally and if possible, turn defense into attack. Unfortunately, it is not possible to achieve all that if your digs don’t result in good passes.
You want to deliver quality passes to your setter who will in turn prep the ball for the attacker. Low-quality passes will be too difficult for any setter to control and this will ultimately lead to a loss of points against your team.
You basically want to train yourself on things like:
- How to build a good platform with your hands
- How to control and pass the ball
- How to control the angle of the ball
Once again, it takes practice to achieve perfection as far as passing skills go.
8. Mental Discipline & Learning from Mistakes
Even though strong physical skills are important for volleyball, a player’s mental skills are equally beneficial. One needs to learn to cope with pressure, stay focused, and above all stay positive no matter the context of the game.
Mental toughness is indeed an essential ingredient to remaining resilient during highly demanding moments.
Above all, one needs to appreciate the fact that we always make mistakes. Don’t view your mistakes as total failure. Analyze your performance and use it to improve your skills.
9. Stay Updated
The game of volleyball like any other sport is evolving. With new trends and strategies rolling out all the time, the last thing you want is to be caught flat-footed. Your best chance to advance from a novice to a pro volleyball digger or diver is by keeping up with the latest developments and strategies.
This way, you can master new techniques or at least be mentally prepared for any new moves an opponent might want to pull against you.
Also read: How Digging and Diving Contribute to Winning Strategies
10. Consistency Pays
Being consistent means showing up every day no matter the situation. It also means being in a positive state of mind and not letting your past failures hold you back. At the same time, you want to consistently work on improving your skills and strength.
All these things take time to perfect. So, you need to work on building solid routine and abide by it.
Conclusion
Improving your digging and diving proficiency in volleyball takes more than just regular practice. You need to understand that this is a journey of a thousand miles and that consistency is key. Get the help of a professional coach and don’t hesitate to keep up with the latest trends.