Basic Butterfly Setup with Variations

DESCRIPTION

This is a drill that can be used for free-ball / down-ball passing or serve and serve receive.  It is normally player-run and is useful for getting a lot of reps with the potential for many variations.

COACHING POINTS

(1 & 5) Players toss / chip / downball / serve to player directly across from them on other side of net, then run to (2 & 6) receive player's spot.  Passer then passes the ball to target and runs to (3 & 7) target's spot.  Target catches ball and runs to (4 & 8) end of tosser line.  Lather rinse repeat.  Players always follow their ball to the next spot.

Keys to look for from the passers:

Face the server / hitter.

Move your feet, beat the ball to the spot, and get stopped before passing, if possible.

"Attack" the ball when you pass by getting your weight forward, your shoulders forward, and your platform out in front of you away from your body.

Hold your platform for a moment after you pass.  Check for results and adjust platform as necessary.

Use the angle of your platform to direct the ball to target. Unless the ball is a very high free ball, never face your target.

Variations:

Toss Freeballs

Downball to passers

Serve to receivers

Have players in receive positions start from off the court and sprint in from end line or shuffle in from sideline.

Tossers / hitters can purposefully place balls more inside the court from the receiver to encourage getting your midline past the ball in order to angle pass to target.

Servers can vary their serves short, long, inside, and outside to move the passer around.  Servers should try to serve purposefully and serve to make themselves and the receivers better.