Floor Spike: Bounce It Into the Wall

Students learn the spiking motion by hitting the ball into the floor so it bounces up into the wall. With no net or jump, everyone gets lots of reps of the arm and wrist action.

How to play

1. Shoulder mobility and the bow-and-arrow motion with no ball: arm back with the elbow high, hit up and in front, and snap the wrist at the end (4 min).
2. Standing 4 m from the wall, marked with a cone. Self-toss in front of the shoulder and hit with an open hand into the floor 1-2 m ahead: the ball bounces up into the wall (6 min).
3. Same thing with one approach step before the hit, no jump (5 min).
4. In pairs: the partner tosses the ball high with two hands and the hitter swings after two steps, still without jumping (5 min).
5. Challenge: hit, let the ball rebound off the wall and come back, and hit it again. How many in a row? (5 min).

Rules

• Everyone has their own section of wall; nobody hits toward another person.
• Hit with an open, firm hand, never a fist.
• If a ball gets away, wait for your neighbor to finish their swing before retrieving it.
• No jumping in this lesson: the focus is the arm.

Variations

Adaptations

• Shoulder injury: practice the motion with a soft ball and little force, or act as the tosser.
• Wheelchair users: do the motion from the chair, which works the arm just as well.
• Students with visual impairments: bell ball and hits from a close self-toss.

Learning goals

• Automate the arm load with a high elbow.
• Hit with an open hand and snap the wrist.
• Prepare the shoulder for attacking with lots of quality reps.

Equipment for a class of 25

• volleyballs: 15
• cones: 15

Teacher tip

You need a long, open wall; if there isn't one, hit toward a partner 6 m away who catches the bounce. The typical error is hitting with a straight arm from below: cue "elbow above your ear."

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