If you're interested in this blog on serving and how to play defense in beach volleyball, you may be interested in our serving course, which, of course, is the first line of defense in, ahem, defense. It'll will have you serving more accurately, with more power, in just a few weeks! We'd also love to have you drop by one -- or more -- of our beach volleyball classes in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, or anywhere in the South Bay!

In beach volleyball, you'll get a lot of weird touches -- one-hand, opposite hand, pokie, tomahawk. You'll get volleyballs crushed at you and you barely have time to respond. It's all about reaction time, and controlling the ball in spite of having very little reaction time. 

Which is why we designed this beach volleyball ball control drill: Six guns. It'll prepare you for any touch, under any reaction time, you'll find throughout your volleyball practice or match.

Beach Volleyball Drills for Ball Control: 6 Guns 

6 Guns...

The most important aspect of defense in beach volleyball isn't the crazy layout dig. It isn't the amazing scoop on the huge swing from the opposing team. It isn't the wild run down or how soon to put out your platform. These are all vital aspects of being an excellent defender in beach volleyball, yes, but the most critical element of defense to focus on is your feet. 

It isn't sexy, but most of the critical elements of sport aren't. In golf, there is a saying "Drive for show, putt for dough." Bombing drives 300-plus yards...

It doesn't come in particularly fast. It isn't likely to make many, or any, Instagram highlights. It certainly isn't going to draw huge crowds at your beach volleyball tournament. But one of the most effective weapons in the game of beach volleyball is a float serve. 

If you ask 100 professional beach volleyball players if they'd rather pass a float serve or a top-spin jump serve, most -- especially if it's on a windy day -- would vote for the top-spin serve, any day of the week. Nobody likes passing float serves. 

A float serve is a bit of a misnomer. It doesn't so much float as it does dance. A properly hit float...

Beach volleyball is an all-encompassing game. When we talk to our students at Better at Beach, sometimes we cover everything -- Beach Volleyball 101 style. In this call with Joe L., AVP Professional beach volleyball player Mark Burik discusses topics A-Z in the game, from good arm swing mechanics to defensive positioning to attack timing. 

It's one of the many products and services we offer here at Better at Beach, and if you'd like to schedule a call with Mark or one of our professional volleyball players, check us out with a 30-minute phone call and film review. We can go over any topic, skill, or question you have -- as we do with Joe in the video below.

We're firm believers that aside from physically practicing and being on the beach, there is nothing that can help your development in beach volleyball as studying your own game from practice and match film. I challenge you to think of a single sport where teams at the highest level don't watch hundreds of hours of...

Hey guys, the video that you're about to watch is an example of one of our beach volleyball lessons from our attacking course: Approach footwork, which will be coming out soon. We have a lot of different lessons, tips, drills and tutorials that are built into this attacking course beach volleyball. We guarantee that this will also be an asset to all those indoor players out there. We will teach you all different types of skills that you need in order to become the best attacker possible. Make sure you click subscribe to our Beach Volleyball YouTube channel. Click that little bell for the notifications so that you can be reminded when we are coming out with a video next. Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to our mailing list! Just for becoming a part of our tribe, you'll immediately get a free beach volleyball drill book, "36 Essential Drills for Beach Volleyball".

Be sure to check out our full line of beach volleyball training programs, available now at ...

Follow along as we go through this 60-minute pre-season full-body beach volleyball workout with professional beach volleyball players Mark Burik and Brandon Joyner. There's a wealth of beach volleyball training information, covering strength, conditioning, aerobics and exercises to improve your volleyball skills. 

This workout is part of our 60 Day Strength and Conditioning Program available now at BetteratBeach.com.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL MOBILITY WORKOUTS

D) Dynamic Range of Motion - 1 Set of 10 Reps Each Side.

• Lying Straight Leg Kicks
• Lying Straight Leg Cross-Over Swings
• Lying Scorpions
• Cat/Cow Series
• Push-Up - Downward Dog / Upward Dog
• Alternating Calf Stretch
• Knee Hugs
• Quad Stretch
• Lateral Lunge
• Elbow to Instep/Lunge Twist
• Warrior One / Triangle Stretch
• Alternating Pigeon Stretches
• Deep Squat Twist
• Open/Hug
• Straight Arm Swings
• Clasp Hands Behind Back / Hamstring Stretch and Reach

BEACH VOLLEYBALL SHOULDER HEALTH

Static Endurance - 1 Set of 1 Minute...

Full Body Dynamic Range of Motion Series for Beach Volleyball

Today we will show you a series of Full Body Dynamic Range of Motion exercises which you can do on your own. Watch this video and see if you can incorporate these exercises into your beach volleyball practice warm-ups. 

• Lying Straight Leg Kicks
• Lying Straight Leg Cross Over Swings
• Lying Scorpions
• Cat / Cow Series
• Push Up - Downward Dog / Upward Dog Series
• Alternating Calf Stretch
• Knee Hugs
• Quad Stretch
• Lateral Lunges
• Elbow to Instep / Lunge Twist
• Warrior One / Triangle Stretch
• Alternating Pigeon Stretches
• Deep Squat Twist
• Open / Hug
• Straight Arm Swings
• Clasp Hands Behind Back / Hamstring Stretch and Reach

Now you're ready for our 60 Day Strength and Conditioning Program for Beach Volleyball. We'll help you achieve greater mobility, strength and speed! 

Become a Better at Beach Silver Member and get access to all of these;

• Video Library

• Strength and...

Check out this hard-fought beach volleyball match from the AVP San Francisco. Marty Lorenz and Mark Burik came up against Billy Allen and Stafford Slick. Allen/Slick won the set and match.

This is part of our beach volleyball training series where you can study Armswing Mechanics, Defensive Positioning and Attack Timing by observing AVP pros in action.

Take your skills to the next level with our 7-day beach volleyball training camps. Hot fun in the sun. We also have beach volleyball courses and training programs to suit every skill level and need.

Still hungry for beach volleyball training? Of course you are. Here’s what’s happening over at VolleyCamp Hermosa, a great destination for beach volleyball instruction and training with the pros. We’ll help you get your game on. Come see us on the beach.

By Leo Keegan

June 26th, 2016. Was it just another day?

Before we answer that, let’s flashback to April 2th, 1995. It was the start of a 3-year period in which Sinjin Smith did not play an AVP tournament. One significant factor was Sinjin was working to grow beach volleyball internationally, playing and supporting the FIVB. And because of that, Sinjin Smith was persona non grata on the AVP. Imagine that, the most influential male beach volleyball player of all time was not playing on US soil.

But time heals all wounds, and on August 24th 2001 at the Manhattan Beach Open Sinjin was celebrated as one of the game’s greatest players of all time as he played in his last AVP tournament (finishing 9th) and retired. All of the past tension and conflict was just that -- in the past.

How many more fans would beach volleyball have if Sinjin had played in AVP tournaments during those years between 1995 and 1998? How many more battles between Randy Stoklos, his former...

Can you tell me what you think is the most important position in baseball? For most, I'd expect the answer to be pitcher. History would say you're correct. So why is it so obvious that pitching is the most critical element of building a baseball team, but serving in beach volleyball is so routinely ignored? Or, if not ignored, not prioritized? 

Serving is no different than pitching. It's the only closed loop skill in the game, meaning you have control from start to finish. You control where you serve from, what kind of serve you're hitting, where you want to hit, what kind of toss you want to use. 

It's also...