Passing / Digging

The most important part of any skill in volleyball is the positioning of the feet and lower body. A good body position will allow you to move quickly towards the ball and allow you to shift your weight to direct the ball where you want it to go. Most coaches call this the ready position:

1. place your feet just wider than hip width apart
2. bend your knees
3. lean forward
4. point your toes slightly inward (this helps you to move in any direction)

Now that we are in the ready position we can work on creating a platform to pass the ball from:

1. with palms facing up, place one hand on top of the other
2. bring thumbs together so that they are parallel
3. straighten elbows
4. shrug your shoulders towards your ears

images courtesy volleyballmag.com

The ball is meant to contact the forearms just above the wrists. To direct the ball where you want it to go, shift your weight in that direction. It often helps to step towards your target at the same time. Ideally, you want to keep the upper body as stationary as possible, maintaining your platform at all times. Passing a ball that is off to one side is a matter of dropping the nearest shoulder to change the angle of the platform.