First practice: advanced

The practice, block by block

1. Minutes 0 to 55 min

   Welcome and what you will watch

   Note

   Tell them what you will look at: first contact, how they call the ball, and how fast they recover. Ask each player for one goal for the season. Two minutes, then get them on the court.

2. Minutes 5 to 138 min

   Dynamic warm-up flow

   Drill, 1 to 24 players

   They will want to rush it. Hold them to full range on the lunges and the knee lifts.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
3. Minutes 13 to 218 min

   Partner pepper and arm warm-up

   Note

   Pairs with one ball. Pass, set, controlled hit, dig, and repeat, keeping the ball low and the hit at your partner. Finish with two minutes of partner throwing, building to firm overhead hits, before anyone takes a full swing.

4. Minutes 21 to 3110 min

   Outside hitting lines

   Drill, 5 to 12 players

   Hitters call line or angle before the approach. Watch the approach and the arm swing more than where the ball lands. Keep it to about ten or twelve swings each on day one.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
5. Minutes 31 to 332 min

   Water break

   Break

6. Minutes 33 to 4512 min

   Butterfly: hit and dig

   Drill, 12 players

   It runs best with 10 to 12. With more, put the extras shagging or tossing and rotate them in. Swing at half speed for the first few rounds, then go full. Once it flows, have the digger call line, angle or tip before the hitter makes contact.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
7. Minutes 45 to 483 min

   Water break

   Break

8. Minutes 48 to 6012 min

   Jump serve build-up

   Drill, 1 to 6 players

   Use both end lines, six players on each, and rotate after every five serves. Stop each player at about ten jump serves today. Players who already jump serve start at stage 3. Anyone who does not, or who has a sore shoulder, stays on the standing serve.

   Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
9. Minutes 60 to 633 min

   Water break

   Break

10. Minutes 63 to 7512 min

    One voice scrimmage

    Drill, 10 to 14 players

    Use the harder version: send down balls and quick free balls so the talker has to call early. One talker per side, changed every couple of dead balls. Finish with everyone talking.

    Watch it in 3DSetup and coaching points
11. Minutes 75 to 849 min

    Six on six

    Note

    Rally scoring to 15, rotating through the serve. Everyone talks. Coach between rallies, one fix per team.

12. Minutes 84 to 906 min

    Cool-down and team talk

    Note

    Easy lap, then shoulders, hips, hamstrings and calves. Say what you saw and what you will work on first, and when you meet next.