How to Jump Higher for Volleyball

A coordinated approach, suitable strength work and appropriately selected jump practice can support volleyball jumping. Which change helps most depends on the player; faster is not automatically better. Work with a coach on controlled take-off and landing, fit extra work around existing training, and assess comparable observations over time rather than promising a gain by a fixed date.

Training examples need individual adjustment. Count the whole week and choose only the work that fits; a printed repetition count or rest interval is not a guarantee of safety.

First technique check

Approach technique

Plyometric sessions

2 per week with 2–3 days between

Youth plyo reps per set

Fewer than 6–8 (NSCA, US strength & conditioning association)

Main safety rule

Land softly, knees in line with toes

Health note: General information, not medical advice. Young athletes should train under a qualified coach, and anyone with pain or an injury should see a doctor or physical therapist.

Approach jump vs. block jump

Volleyball uses two different jumps, and you should train both.

• Approach jump (attacking): you take a 3- or 4-step run, plant both feet, swing both arms back, and drive up. Your forward speed turns into height, so this is usually your highest jump. See the approach footwork drill for the footwork.
• Block jump: you start close to the net, usually after a shuffle or crossover step, with your hands already up near your shoulders. There is little room for an arm swing, so it depends more on leg strength and a quick bend.
• What this means for training: a player who only does standing jumps may never fix a slow approach, and a player who only practices approaches may have a weak block jump. Measure and practice both.

• Approach jump

  ✓ Correct

  A 3- or 4-step run, both arms swing back, then drive up. Your forward speed turns into height.

• Block jump

  ✓ Correct

  Start close to the net with your hands up near your shoulders. Little room for an arm swing: legs and a quick bend.

Step 1: Review your approach technique

Before adding any training load, check these:

• Coordinate the last two steps with a coach. In a common right-handed approach, the right step precedes the closing left step; left-handed players often mirror this. Practise a controlled braking and take-off action rather than forcing both heels to strike together. Adjust the approach to the set and available landing space.
• Both arms swing back fully, then up hard. A full, fast arm swing adds noticeable height. Many beginners swing their arms only halfway.
• Hips sink, chest stays up. Bend at the hips and knees together on the plant, about a quarter to half squat. Too deep and you lose speed.
• If you drift toward the net, review take-off location, the set, approach direction and body control with your coach. There can be several causes; one short step does not explain every case. Start with a slower, controlled rehearsal and preserve clear landing space.

Where recording is permitted, a short side-view clip can help you and your coach compare approach timing and arm swing between attempts.

Optional: watch the approach footwork demonstration (video in English, 13:50).

Step 2: Build strength (2 days per week)

Stronger legs and hips can produce more force and support controlled landings. Benefits depend on appropriate progression; strength alone does not guarantee injury prevention. Start with bodyweight and add load only with a coach or trained adult.

• Squat (bodyweight, then goblet squat with a weight): 3 sets of 8–10.
• Split squat or reverse lunge: 3 sets of 8 per leg.
• Hip hinge (glute bridge, then single-leg bridge or Romanian deadlift): 3 sets of 10.
• Calf raises (two legs, then one leg, slow lowering): 3 sets of 12–15.
• Plank and side plank: 3 rounds of 20–40 seconds.

More on building a full program: strength training.

Step 3: Add plyometrics in a progression

Plyometrics are fast jumping exercises. The list below is a set of levels you work through over several weeks, not one workout. Each level should feel easy and controlled before you move on. Count every foot contact (each landing).

1. Landing first: snap-downs (quickly drop into a quarter squat and stick it) and box step-downs to a soft, quiet landing. 2–3 sets of 5.
2. Jump and stick: squat jumps where you land and hold for 2 seconds. 3 sets of 5.
3. Jump in place: pogo hops (small, quick bounces on the balls of the feet) and repeated squat jumps. 3 sets of 8–10. Youth athletes: fewer than 6–8 reps per set (NSCA).
4. Approach jumps: full approach, max jump, walk back. 3 sets of 4–5 with full rest.
5. Single-leg and lateral hops: hop forward and side to side over a line, landing on one foot. 2–3 sets of 5 per leg.

• Five levels, one at a time

  Start at level 1. Move up only when the level below feels easy and controlled.

• Leave 2–3 days of recovery between plyometric sessions, and keep the volume low for kids and younger teens. Volleyball practice already includes many jumps, so in-season you will usually need far fewer extra jumps, or none.
• Practice cue: For every plyometric set, quality beats quantity: stop the set when jumps get lower or landings get loud.
• Jump on a forgiving surface: a gym floor, grass or rubber mat, not concrete.
• Full details and more exercises: plyometrics.

Step 4: Land like a volleyball player

Many volleyball injuries, especially ankle sprains, happen on landing, so landing practice is part of jumping higher.

• Land on both feet when you can, balls of the feet first, then heels.
• Bend your knees and hips to absorb the landing. It should be quiet.
• Keep your knees in line with your toes. Don't let them collapse inward.
• Keep your chest up and eyes forward, ready to move.
• At the net, land on your own side. Landing on a teammate's or opponent's foot is a common cause of ankle sprains.

• Knees in line with toes

  ✓ Correct

  Both feet, knees and hips bent, a quiet landing, knees in line with your toes.

• Knees caving in

  ✗ Wrong

  Knees collapse inward. Fix your landing before you add harder jumps.

The US National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) recommends injury-prevention programs that combine strength, plyometrics, balance and feedback on landing technique, especially for young female athletes in jumping sports. Read more on common injuries.

A sample week

Put the steps above together like this, keeping strength to 2 days and plyometrics to 2 sessions with 2–3 days between them:

• Day 1 (for example Monday): approach technique, plyometrics, then strength.
• Day 4 (for example Thursday): plyometrics, then strength.
• Other days: team practice, rest or light activity.
• If team practice already had a lot of jumping that day, skip the extra plyometrics. In-season, practice jumps may be all the plyometrics you need.

Keep approach and block jump observations separate

A touch-height record can help you discuss technique with a coach. It is not a ranking of talent or a medical test. Touch height includes standing reach; it is not the same measurement as how far the body rises.

• Use only an already planned, supervised jumping session, with a suitable measuring device and clear landing space. Do not jump into a wall or improvise targets above people.
• Record the surface, shoes, warm-up, measurement method and whether you are fresh or coming from practice. Use the same conditions for a later comparison.
• For an approach touch, record approach length and touching hand. For a block touch, record the two-hand method and whether any lateral movement was used. Record standing reach with heels down and the same arm arrangement; do not mix one-hand and two-hand records.
• Log the number of attempts and each touch reading in the same unit, plus a landing or timing observation. A different device or technique can change the reading; a single best attempt does not establish progress.

Worked example (fictional)

Jo records a three-step, one-hand approach touch on the usual court, with the same shoes and measuring device as last time. Two planned attempts give different readings. The coach notes that Jo reached early on the lower attempt. They keep both readings and the timing note; they do not compare this result with Jo's separate two-hand block record.

Blank record to copy or print

Copy these fields into your own document or print the page. Keep personal notes private; review the next decision with your coach.

• Date / surface / shoes / warm-up / session context: ______________________________
• Approach or block / steps or lateral movement / hand method: ______________________________
• Device / unit / matching standing reach: ______________________________
• Attempts / individual touch readings / timing and landing notes: ______________________________
• Next technical cue / comparable review session: ______________________________

Stop if there is pain or the landing area becomes unsafe. This log does not prescribe maximum attempts or justify extra fatigued jumps to chase a personal best.

Background (English): Junior Volleyball Association: 3 Methods to Track the Vertical Jump. Original Learn Volley worksheet; the publisher does not endorse this template.

Realistic expectations

• Progress varies with experience, maturation, practice, recovery and how the jump is measured. No fixed number of weeks guarantees a change in height or match performance. Compare attempts under similar conditions and discuss the next useful adjustment with your coach.
• Growing, sleeping enough and eating enough matter, especially for teenagers.
• Height you can use matters more than a test number. A well-timed approach with a full arm swing often beats a bigger jump with poor timing.
• If something hurts during or after jumping (especially knees, shins or heels), stop and get it checked. Pain is not part of the plan.

Youth safety

• Kids can start strength and jump training once they can follow instructions and are supervised by a qualified adult. Bodyweight exercises with good technique come first.
• Keep plyometrics simple and low-volume for younger players, with at least 2–3 days between sessions. For power exercises such as plyometrics, the NSCA says fewer than 6–8 repetitions per set are typically recommended for youth.
• Watch for knees caving inward on landings and correct it before adding more jumps.
• Always warm up first (warm-up), jump on a forgiving surface and stop if you feel pain. See common injuries.

Deep dive: why the approach jump is higher than a standing jump

An approach adds horizontal motion that the player must manage during the plant and take-off. Coordinated leg action and arm swing can influence take-off; the arms do not independently pull an airborne body higher. More approach speed is not automatically more usable height. Compare controlled attempts with the same approach, surface and measurement method.

Sources and scope: the NSCA discusses jump-load planning and youth progression; NATA supports multicomponent programs with technique feedback. These sources do not validate one universal workout. NSCA · NATA.

Frequently asked questions

Evidence and scope checked 30 October 2026. These sources inform general principles; they do not certify this page as an individual training or treatment plan. NSCA 2009.