Pro Tip: The other team, if they have any serving skills, will seek out your team’s weakest passer and serve to that unfortunate individual over and over again. Don’t be that guy. Learn how to pass.
4. About your feet: Barefoot is always best. You’re not going to move in the sand as well if you are wearing shoes; plus, they will quickly fill up with sand and that’s a great recipe for blisters. If you really want to keep your feet covered, minimalist toe shoes such as Vibram FiveFingers might be an option. Or you could try wearing socks. Pro Tip: Sand gets hot in the sun. To keep your feet from baking, dig them in a few inches to find the cooler sand in between plays. Of course, you’ll want to pull your feet out before the next serve so you’re ready to move. KEYS TO SAND VOLLEYBALL SUCCESS When Harris provides lessons to players who are new to sand volleyball—or those looking to improve their game—he focuses on two key areas: serving and passing. “This whole sport is what we call a rebound sport,” said Harris. “Everything’s a rebound: whether I’m passing, setting, or hitting, it’s all about rebounding the ball. Serving, however, is the one skill that you have 100-percent control over.” Harris also focuses on forearm passing, since that’s the most common touch a player makes during a game. While you can’t control how a ball comes to you over the net, you can, with practice and proper technique, get to the ball and pass it in a way that makes it playable for your teammates. “I always teach people to try to better the ball than what you got,” said Harris. “If you got a serve, try to make a nice, high pass that the setter can get to. If you’re the setter, pass the ball high. That gives your hitter time to get under it, jump, and swing. And if you’re the hitter, and you can’t get to the height of the net, stay on the ground but look at how to place the shot to find where the other team’s not.”
3. Sand volleyball will wear you out. Expect to feel more of a burn when playing sand volleyball. There are a few reasons for this: First, you’re probably playing in the sun, which can make things warm, which will drain you a little bit. Second, every movement in the sand requires your leg muscles to do extra work when dealing with the shifting surface under your feet. Pro Tip: The volleyball easily picks up sand in wet and dry conditions. When you’re getting ready to serve, gently toss the ball up in front of you and then clap your hands hard on either side of the ball. You’ll pop the excess sand off the ball and keep the grit from flying in your face when you serve. 1. Warm up. Once the game starts, you are in for a great workout—so treat yourself like the athlete you are and warm up. Do a few active and static stretches to make sure you don’t pull any muscles. 2. Remove the bling. Clear your arms and hands of all watches and jewelry. You might not like the results of an epic showdown between your smartwatch screen and a sand-covered ball. Plus, you need a clean, smooth platform when you make contact with the ball. protect your eyes from UV rays, but sunglasses serve a couple other purposes in sand volleyball. First, you don’t want to lose the ball in the sun. And second, you’re playing on sand, and the sand will inevitably become airborne. Even if you’re playing at night, glasses will help keep the sand out of your eyes. 3. Wear sunglasses. It’s always a good idea to GETTING STARTED
FOREARM PASSING TECHNIQUE
Proper forearm passing technique begins by holding your arms parallel, placing the heels of your hands against each other, and then wrapping the fingers of one hand around the other, with thumbs placed evenly, side-by- side, on top. Press the heels of your hands together and flex your wrists downward slightly. This will pull your elbows together and provide a smooth surface for the ball to strike. 1. Adjust your grip. Some people learn to do a forearm pass with interlaced fingers, or even crossed thumbs. Harris advises this is an excellent way to end up with a broken finger if you take a dive into the sand. Don’t interlace your fingers. 2. It’s not batting practice. As the ball drops toward you, don’t swing at it with your fists or forearms. Not only do you lose control, but you will wind up with
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