VOLLEYBALL: Play the 8 Way

Get a great stroke and touch on your contact, whether it's for passing, digging, or bump setting.

Volleyball is such a fast sport that even when we try and get our feet behind the ball, it often doesn't happen. Can you imagine trying to get your body behind the ball in tennis? It’s a good thing the racket is an extension of your arms! In volleyball, especially on the beach, in the sand, with only two people to cover the whole court, you have to know how to contact the ball on both sides of your body.

Coaches rarely teach players to pass the ball on their sides, and even when they do, they focus solely on their arms moving. The key to getting your arms out and having a firm platform comes not from your arms, but from your core. The 8board helps you understand and replicate this movement.

For hitting and serving, the flexibility of your core (hips, pelvis and ribs) gives you the power and strength behind your swing. However, if you don't know how to move correctly to tap that power, your core strength is useless. The 8board can teach you how to initiate the movement from your midsection, which will make your swing more of a threat.

This flexibility and understanding of the core movement can also be very useful in preventing injuries for volleyball players, especially in the knees and shoulders. The twisting, flexion and extension of your spine are crucial for injury prevention.