How to Set a Volleyball: A Beginner’s Guide

Really good, consistent setting is crucial to every volleyball team. The set is ideally the second touch after the ball crosses the net. The first is the pass (sometimes called a bump) and the third will hopefully be a hit (or spike).

Sometimes casual fans think that setting is the same thing as volleying and everyone on the team can do that. The setter is actually like the quarterback of the volleyball team and it’s really a specialized skill to be able to run the offense.

So how do beginners learn to set the volleyball? Here are 4 steps to learning to set well:

Read on to learn about each part of learning to set well.

1. Be ready to move.

As the passer is making contact, you should be anticipating where they are sending the ball. Are they making good contact? Are they in a solid passing position? Be moving to where the ball is going immediately!

Your team should have an established location (usually the front right corner, called position 2), but whether your teammate is passing to that spot or not, if you are the setter, you have to go get it or call for help!

I remember the first time club tournament we ever attended. There were teams everywhere, the facility had 16 courts going at once. I remember picking the team that looked like the toughest competition for my daughter’s age group. I watched and was amazed to see the smallest girl on the team (the setter) absolutely shove a teammate off her feet to get the ball. She made the play and then after the point turned and scolded the girl for getting in her way. Her coach backed her up and subbed the girl out and repeated the message – “don’t get in your setter’s way!”

Call for “HELP” as a last resort, usually only if the pass is absolutely terrible because you’re giving up your job when you call for help.

2. Get under the ball in time to receive it in the proper position.

Imagine for a moment that I gave you a 2-liter of your favorite soda and challenged you to drink it as fast as possible. You would hold it with both hands, tilt your head back and raise the 2-liter bottle above your head. If you pointed the bottle straight up towards the ceiling, you would be in perfect setting position.

Ball control with a partner.

You need to move to be under the ball in a way that you can begin the set in this position. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be bent. Your hands should be spread apart a few inches, with your thumbs and index fingers forming a triangle.

Your hands should be relaxed and soft. Your elbows should be bent and pointed out to the sides. You need to move to where if you looked up and didn’t touch the ball with your hands, the ball would bounce right on your forehead between your eyebrows and your hairline.

3. Before you can set, you have to plan.

**To have consistently good sets, get under the ball ahead of time.**

Where are you passing the ball, where is your target? You need to choose which hitter you are setting. Hopefully, you already had a plan, but if not, this is your last chance to decide.

As you develop as a setter, you will be given more and more responsibility to call the offense. As a beginner your coach may tell the whole team what he or she wants you to do, but as you progress you will have coaches that simply tell you and they count on you to lead the team.

So at this point in the play, do you need to change plans? Which hitter is in the best position to really attack the ball?

To make this decision, be aware of your teammates. Where are they on the court and who is calling for the ball? As soon as you’ve made your decision, call out to your attacker so they know the ball is coming.

4. Pass the ball.

Think about what that means. You are the quarterback of the offense right now, you are passing to your teammate. You can’t just pop the ball up and see what happens. You are sending the ball to the perfect spot in the air where your hitter will crush it!

As you make contact with the ball, be visualizing where it needs to end up. I picture an invisible rainbow. The ball needs to travel higher than where the hitter plans to hit it so that they have time to approach.

Use your soft hands with strong fingers and push the ball toward that target. Don’t hit the ball with your palms. You’re trying to touch the ball with all 10 fingers, even though most of the force will be on your thumb and first 2 fingers of each hand.

As you are contacting the ball you will quickly straighten your arms, flick your wrists, and push up with your legs at the same time. You should be pushing with your whole body. You should have slightly bent knees as you begin your set and push up through the set.

Keep your touch on the ball quick and light, you are NOT catching and throwing, you are volleying. Make sure to follow through. When you follow through you increase the consistency of the ball correctly flying to your intended target.

Expect to Have to Practice Setting A Lot

As with most skills in sports, you need to practice to develop consistent sets. Don’t give up because you’re not good at it early on. You will need to put in a lot of repetitions to develop strength and coordination. You need to focus on using good form to reinforce good techniques.

If you’re on a beginner team with players that don’t have specific roles, your coach should choose 1 or 2 setters early on. If you are interested in being the setter, communicate that to your coach as soon as possible. If you are given the opportunity to be the setter, expect to spend a major part of your practices setting.

In as many drills as possible, your coach should be using you to set the ball instead of tossing or instead of every player randomly rotating through being the setter.

Everyone Needs To Set Sometimes

Although you may not be the setter, you still need to be able to set the ball at a decent level. Every player on the team should be able to make the play from time to time that helps the team out when a play breaks down.

**Sometimes other players will have to set the ball.**

Sometimes your setter will have to be the one to get the first touch, guess what? They can’t set the second touch! Other times, they will be out of position or the pass will be so bad they have no way to run that far to get to it in time.

You will have to step in and help out. So don’t be shy, just step up and do your best.

How to Know if Your Set is Good

Your set should have very little sound. The ball should come off of your hands with little to no spin. The ball needs to be set high enough to allow the hitter time to make their approach and attack.

The set needs to put the ball close enough to the net that the hitter gets a great angle on their attack, but far enough away that the other team will not be able to play the ball or block really easily.

Don’t Forget About Setting the Back Row

Beginner setters should keep in mind that you still have your whole back row to work with that are available to set. The rule is that these players cannot attack from in front of the ten-foot line, but there’s no reason they can’t be part of the offense.

If you are aware of who is ready and in position around the court, sometimes your best option may be your libero or a hitter who happens to be in the back row. Call their name and give them a chance to get in on the action. Those back-row players need some setting love from time to time!

How Do You Set a Volleyball Without Spin?

Setting the ball with no spin is really only important to avoid getting called for double hits by some referees. The spin actually won’t matter to the gameplay.

When the hitter strikes the ball, any spin that was on the ball will be insignificant. To set the ball with no spin you have to practice 2 things:

You have to set from a calm and stable base. If you’re stretching, flying through the air and leaning to one side as you set, guess what? Your set will come out crazy. If you are in position, body under control and push through your set, the ball will come out with much more control.
Focus on your push and the flick of your wrists. You want to have strong fingers so that you can push the ball far enough so that it gets to your hitter’s position, and flick your wrists fast enough so it travels very quickly to the hitter so that they aren’t waiting for the ball to get to them in the air.

One of the major tools you can use to strengthen your hands and improve your control is a Weighted Setter’s Ball. If you’d like to watch a video of me talking about how it helped my daughter improve very quickly, you can find that here.

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Do I Volley With Soft Fingers or Strong Fingers?

It’s hard to explain, but you want your hands to be loose and flexible to absorb the ball and caress it. At the same time, you need your fingers to be strong and force the ball to go where you’re aiming.

So think of your fingers being relaxed and flexible in the receiving and strong and firm as you finish your set.

Is the Setter Always the Shortest Player On the Team?

Often the setter is one of the shortest players on the team, but that’s not always the case. In fact, if you’re a tall setter, that can be a huge advantage to your team.

As the setter, you will be around the net all the time, so if you have the height or the vertical for blocking, you bring an extra layer to the defense that many teams don’t have. There’s nothing wrong with the setter being the shortest player on the team, but don’t just assume that that should always be the case.

Setting Drills

There are loads and loads of good setting drills. Here are a few that are geared to beginners:

The Tennis Ball and the Cone

The player begins in the “ready” position as they should be when the ball is crossing the net. The player should be holding a small cone in one of their hands.

The coach, teammate, or parent tosses a tennis ball high into the air simulating a pass. The setter runs to get in position under the ball, holds the ball over their forehead, and catches the tennis ball in the cone.

This drill teaches the importance of positioning. Focus on good footwork, tracking the ball, and speed.

Freeze the Set

Coach or mentor tosses the ball and the setter catches the ball as if they’re going to set, but freezes.

The coach looks to analyze hand placement, body positioning, and overall form. Gradually raise the difficulty of the toss and practice maintaining good form.

This drill is a great change of pace after intense practice because it helps players identify good form and realize how their form may be breaking down.

Seated Setting

Have two players sit cross-legged a few feet apart. Set to each other in this seated position. Can they consistently volley back and forth without losing control? Gradually increase the distance between the partners.

This drill is good for beginners because it isolates the upper body and forces players to develop strength in their arms.

To continue learning about setting, check out this helpful post: 13 Setting Tips!