Converting over

[mycena]

For us Northerners, the time has come to begin to prepare to take the game out of doors. Mostly that means hitting the sand. Does anyone have any good advice on making the transition from floor to sand any easier? Anything from, fitness to mentally prepping? What is the big thing that you focus on when you convert over?

[strazzere]

Sandsocks, some dunkin` donuts hot chocolate (for atleast the next month), long sleeve tshirts and some sweat shirts...


If you want a work out - do your calves so you can jump, and transition to a two step approach on your hit. Bust out the float serve if you can't jump, since the wind around here is amazing for it.

Maybe it's just were I play? But I tend to cover with run though, since it's harder to start moving in the sand, so a shank is harder to recover from from standing still... (This is in quads, not doubles)

[kvb]

SAND RECIPE
#1 - jog
#2 - do stepper
#3 - weight lift and do situps
#4 - run around in the sand to get used to it
#5 - pass amazingly well (stay low)
#6 - just get it in - they'll make a mistake, or the wind will mess them up
#7 - hit it where they're not (many have trouble moving in sand)
#8 - drink a lot - no alcohol 'til off the sand
#9 - if you're playing A level & up - put away the finger sets 'til fall - bump set
#10 - if your partner or team members suck at passing do whatever ya gotta do to 'just get it up' (& in the court) & keep the ball in play (i.e. running dive when necessary)
# 11 - put away the pancake 'til fall
# 12 - lose all your bad passing volleyball friends phone #s & emails until fall and back at 6's
# 13 - remember shades for sun
# 14 - sunblock if you don't want to look like a KFC Xtra crispy commercial
# 15 - a towel to undo the "Shake and Bake" commercial look
# 16 - sprinkle in a little trash talk as necessary for taste

[Outta Town]

Since we are in the 100+ degree days now, we think about moving up to the north high country for cooler temps. It might be in 80's during the day at 4000 foot level or higher.
We also move back indoors quite a bit now.
Those who stay hiking all year round here are in best shape. Notice I said hiking, not walking. A good working hike will gain anywhere from 500-1500 feet elevation in 1-2 miles. Up works the lungs, calves and quads. Down burns the quads and whatever those muscles are called over your shins. Mountains keep it from becoming boring.

If you don't have mountains, use KVB's recipe.

If you're talking sweatshirts now, am I gonna get cold when coming to Long Island in June?

[NewEnglandRT]

Oh, I'll add #17 and a few others....

17: Don't tear a tendon in your elbow passing a shanked set.
18: When recovering from passing shanked sets don't use your hands to keep from eating a face full of sand.
19: When diving lay, completly out. Don't leave your hands underneath you.
20: Don't play with people who shank sets.
21: Don't dive to recover shanked sets.
22: Don't get spiked on by your wife while writhing in agony in the sand after tearing a tedon in your elbow.

[mycena]

NERT, Your wife left you lying in the sand writhing in agony. haha Oh sorry. it sounds funny.

Hmm Kvb, sounds like too much work to me. How do you fit all that into your schedule? Maybe i need to become unemployed and focus on the volley instead. Anyone want to house me while I try to get good enough to play A ball? Anyone? No?

What's everyones take on actually running in the sand? What about the shoe vs. no shoe debate?

Outta town, honestly, keep an eye on the weather. It might be cool enough for your thin-bloodedness to have to wear an extra layer. In New Englad you never can tell. These are the numbers for my neck of the woods for June 3rd.
AVERAGES
Hi 74°F
Lo 53°F
RECORDS
Hi 89°F
Lo 37°F

[Outta Town]

Please have record high and sunshine that day!!

[Air Diney]

I didn't mean to spike on my hubby!!!

If I knew he was down I would have stopped....hee hee hee

[volleyballstud]

Main issues you'll have when transitioning between hard court and sand is stability, maneuverability, and nature. Everything else will remain the same once you get those taken care of. Ideally you'll want to run around in the sand as the main way to get your sand legs. If you have no access to that, I suggest using wobble boards and wobble balls and wobble discs to build the stabilizer muscles in your ankles and legs when doing lunges and squats.
WOBBLE BOARD
WOBBLE BALL
WOBBLE DISC

Once you build those up, it will be just like playing indoors but have an easier surface to dive on.

[nmsvbteam]

There is an article on training for beach volleyball in the featured articles section. There are also like ten articles, or there were, on the AVP site about pros talking about transitioning from indoor to beach (some were actually the same article with different names attached, whoops). Running sprints in the sand will help a lot. On timing your approaches, work on waiting then exploding into it, instead of casually approaching your spike. I also like to practice footwork, dropping off of the net and court positioning early in the season. Do lots of passing drills, different ball and elements. And DEFINITELY hand set as much as possible during practice, or you will never learn and your game will be crippled and never be able to advance to the next level. In a tournament, don't use the hands until you have achieved a level of comfort and skill, but I hate seeing so many players having not developed the skill because they were afraid of being called. It is a lot different than indoor, doesn't mean you can't do it. Oh, and wear sunscreen, and drink beer.

We have our first outdoor tourney on Sunday, with 80 degree weather, although we are just transitioning from indoor sand...