Volleyball training: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What volleyball training is

Volleyball training teaches serving, passing, setting, hitting and court positioning through drills, for beginners or players aiming for a competitive team. Players book it before a season or tryout, or when one skill, like a passing platform or a float serve, keeps breaking down in games.

Signs you need it

  • Your serve lands short or long more often than it goes over the net
  • Passes bounce off your forearms too high or too far from the setter
  • You hit into the net or the block more than you hit past it
  • You rotate into the wrong spot and your team loses its shape
  • A tryout or club season is coming and you need to build specific skills first

What the pro does

  • Watches the player serve, pass and hit to find the skill that limits the team most
  • Teaches the platform pass and footwork to move under the ball
  • Works on setting, from hand position to the target height and location
  • Drills approach footwork and the arm swing for hitting, with a ball set to a fixed spot
  • Covers rotation and positioning for the player's role, such as outside hitter, libero or middle

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Individual or small group training versus a team session
  • The player's age and level, since beginners need more basic skill work
  • Session length and the number of sessions in a block
  • Gym location and whether court time is included
  • Whether the trainer brings balls, a net setup or a serving machine
  • Whether the focus is one skill or a full position program

What a written quote should spell out

  • Number of sessions, session length and start date
  • Gym location and whether court time is included
  • Group size and whether the training is individual
  • Whether balls and nets are provided
  • Policy for missed sessions and gym closures

Questions to ask before you hire

  • What do you check first when you watch me serve and pass?
  • How do you teach a platform pass without making it a stiff arm?
  • Do you teach the player's position, or general skills for everyone?
  • Will you give me drills to do alone against a wall or with a partner?
  • How do you train a serve that is consistent under pressure?
  • Do you hold a coaching certificate, and how long have you coached players this age?
  • What will we work on in the first month, and how will we measure progress?

Red flags

  • Changes a serve or approach in one session without explaining the reason
  • Promises a college roster spot or a starting role on a club team
  • Runs hard jumping drills for a young player without checking the player's warm-up or landing form
  • Ignores the setter and team positions and works only on hitting

What you can do yourself

A player can practice passing against a wall, serve from a fixed spot with a ball bucket, and do footwork drills with cones. A parent or friend can toss balls for a hitting approach in a backyard or park. Hire a trainer when a serve, pass or setting problem keeps coming back, when the player is changing technique, or when they are preparing for a tryout.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to train volleyball players. Ask whether the trainer holds a coaching certificate and whether the gym requires proof of insurance. If the trainer works with children, ask for proof of a background check. Check with your state or local licensing agency only if the gym has its own rules for sessions.

Volleyball training questions

Is a beginner too young or too new to start training?

No. Beginners often benefit most from early work on passing and serving, because those skills show up in every rally. Ask the trainer to start with the basics and build from there.

Should I train for a position or for overall skills?

Start with overall skills so you can pass, serve and set well. Then focus on your position, such as hitting from the outside or blocking in the middle, once you have a solid base.

Does the trainer need a background check?

If the trainer works with children, ask for proof of a background check before the first session. Many clubs and gyms require one.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

Edit history

How it works

  1. 1. Describe the job

    Pick the service, add your ZIP and a sentence about what is going on.

  2. 2. Pick the pros you want

    See screened pros who serve your ZIP and choose who you want to hear from.

  3. 3. They reach out

    They contact you the way you chose: phone, email or in-app messages.

More sports and martial arts lessons guides

Find a pro near you

Find a pro

About this guide

Request volleyball training