If you're interested in this blog on beach volleyball, 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 beach volleyball. It 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!

If you are to peruse the best beach volleyball teams of all time -- Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos, Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor, Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, to name a few -- you'll find a number of common traits. 

While all of them could side out at a world-class level, that is not necessarily the differentiator between them and the rest of the world. Most teams at the top of the AVP and FIVB...

 If you're interested in this blog on serving in beach volleyball, you may be interested in our serving course, which 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!

The serve in beach volleyball is akin to a pitch in baseball or putting in golf: It's used more often than any other skill. It begins every point. Sometimes it can even end every point, too. We'll get to how to ace your opponents in other blogs, videos, and write-ups. For now, we want to discuss a critical, but oddly not often discussed, element of serving in beach volleyball: Where to serve and why/

There are a few basic points that most beach volleyball players understand. Most will serve at the weaker of the two players -- or the one getting set by the lesser setter of the two -- because, simply, it's easier...

Beach volleyball partners can argue a lot, but I'd like to save you a fight and teach you how to set and where the best players in the world prefer to get set. This video does look at some great players with big verticals and quick arms which means they can hit sets hard and down from far away. 

Most volleyball players try to overcome their lack of accuracy in their spikes by hitting hard. If you're a shorter player or you don't have a massive vertical jump, it can be frustrating to hit balls that aren't on top of the net because you never get the feeling of hitting down. 

In the video below, we show you examples where there is a big physical blocker at the net, which means tight sets will be gobbled up....

Hey guys welcome back to VolleyCamp Hermosa / Better at Beach! We’re going take you through some Side-out points. We have Alexander Huber from Austria and his partner Leo Williams from South Africa who are both great players on the FIVB World Tour.

How far off are we setting for a perfect set? Most people think they want the ball tighter, but if we look consistently at the best players in the world, they're taking the ball four-five-and six feet from the net so that they have plenty of space and the blocker can't play as much of a role in the game. – Mark Burik

If you love this type of video with in depth beach volleyball tips for setting and spiking along with the thought process behind tactics on the professional tour, you can take some next steps!

Download our free beach volleyball drill book

Sign up for our Online Beach Volleyball Courses. Our most popular membership which includes, among other skills, our full setting course and attacking /...

Thank you for reading! We love that you're interested in beach volleyball! And if you live in Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, or anywhere in Southern California, we'd love if you joined us for our beach volleyball classes and camps!

Casey Patterson is known for, among a wide variety of elements of beach volleyball, his personality. He dances. Laughs. Talks more than your typical beach volleyball player -- sometimes, as was the case this past year at AVP Seattle, in the middle of a swing, when he wondered, audibly, what in the world Troy Field was doing when he dared to peel on Patterson. 

It didn't end well for Field. 

This might not seem to be like strategy in the typical sense of the word. That strategy is the Xs and Os -- who to serve and where, what defense to run, where to attack and how. Patterson employs plenty of that as well, and he discusses as much in the video below. But strategy, getting into an opponent's head and staying...

Have you ever tried to move in the sand? Chances are that you have -- you wouldn't be reading this blog on beach volleyball if you haven't. So, because you know how difficult it is to move, you know, then, how imperative it is to be in the right spot -- you can't depend on blazing speed in the deep sands of Hermosa Beach or Manhattan Beach. 

Your positioning has to be on point. 

This goes for all aspects and positions in beach volleyball. If you're a defender, you need to be positioned correctly, with the proper balance, if...

The following video is a video analysis that Mark had done with one of his players. Our video analysis sessions are designed to have professional AVP athletes/coaches sit down with our players and they go through 45 minutes of tape review. Our coaches look at the player’s game film, the techniques and what decisions the player makes in a game. Watch a sample of Mark’s video analysis in action.

Make sure to subscribe to Mark’s YouTube channel and social media accounts if you want to see more of these.

Our Complete Serve Receive course starts at the bottom and takes you all the way to the top. Whether you are a true beginner, or you've been playing for decades, this course will offer you a chance to build and re-build your basics and take the next jump. Take the time to follow the course and do the drills. We guarantee you are going to Get Better at Beach! https://www.betteratbeach.com/offers/LYbwq3yL

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...

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...

It's a mental game, beach volleyball defense. Doesn't matter if you're playing in Hermosa Beach or Austin, Manhattan Beach or New York City, San Jose or the South Bay. It is, as a popular saying goes, "chess, not checkers."

Which is why we wanted to show you this video. Austrian Olympian Alex Huber is playing BetteratBeach founder and CEO Mark Burik at the p1440 event in San Jose, California. 

One play, in particular, stood out to us. 

Huber, a ninja of a beach volleyball defender, runs a four. If you're new to beach...