How to Jump Higher For Beach Volleyball

What is the sport that requires the most jumping by every player?  Beach volleyball, so what better jumpers are there to learn from than the best.

How can I jump higher out of the sand?

Jumping in sand takes some changes to your approach.  The sand will eat your jump and this is known as the term “sand monster” in beach volleyball.  Don’t let the sand monster get you.  You have to really pounce with your last two steps.  I’ve seen some players that prefer to take their last 2 steps at the same time.  Usually you would take them them one after the other very quickly like on a hard court approach.  If you do a hop and then plant hard with your feet before jumping you will pack the sand down under your feet and be able to jump a little higher instead of sinking before take off.

So as you can see you can’t use all of your forward momentum and convert into upward vertical leap ability like you can on a hard surface.  For this reason it is very important to work on your standing vertical leap.  This means you need to practice jumping that doesn’t require an approach.

How can I work on my standing vertical?

The best workout I have done to increase my standing vert is by getting a chair about knee height and sitting in it with a high box in front of me.  From a seat position, jump up in an exploding manner to land on top of the box.  This will teach you to squat deeper before jumping and you will jump higher on the sand.