In my introduction to volleyball post, I briefly went over the differences between beach and indoor volleyball. This post will go into much more detail, drawing from my personal experience trying to play beach over the weekend.

When I moved to California from New Jersey five years ago, I had many ideas and plans for my life. Southern California is supposed to be the Mecca of beach volleyball, where Olympic athletes practice/compete regularly! The weather would always be 70 degrees and sunny and I would go out to play beach volleyball all the time.

This past weekend marks the second time in five years I’ve gone out to play beach volleyball here.

I regularly play indoor volleyball once or twice a week, but beach volleyball was always just cast off to the side. I finally decided to give it a try and play outside instead of staying in an air-conditioned gym. Just in time for the National Weather Service to declare an Excessive Heat Warning for Orange County.

Bad timing aside, I had a great time playing beach volleyball seriously and would like to share my thoughts. Hopefully this post can help others trying to play beach for the first time.

What to Expect from Beach Volleyball

Pace of the game – The biggest difference, in my opinion, between beach and indoor volleyball is speed. The ball itself moves slower because it’s larger and lighter; the players move slower because of the sand. There are no offensive combination plays to overwhelm the defense, and your setting options are much more limited. This doesn’t mean that it is less intense than indoor – if anything I feel that I was more stressed playing beach.

Mentality – There is a much stronger emphasis on playing dirty smart. It is definitely a game of deception and placement as opposed to speed and power. Because there’s so much more court to cover, points can be scored very easily if you know where the defenders are and where they are not. There’s this mental chess game where you can pretend to hit to one place while the opponent pretends they won’t be there. That sentence sounds ridiculous but viewing it like chess is surprisingly accurate.

smart. It is definitely a game of deception and placement as opposed to speed and power. Because there’s so much more court to cover, points can be scored very easily if you know where the defenders are and where they are not. There’s this mental chess game where you can pretend to hit to one place while the opponent pretends they won’t be there. That sentence sounds ridiculous but viewing it like chess is surprisingly accurate. Mechanics – One of my favorite parts of beach is how I’m able to play volleyball a lot more. Even though I’m not very tall, I’m forced to play middle blocker a lot at open gyms because it’s a rare position where I play. As a middle, I don’t really get the opportunity to do anything except hit and block. Playing beach, however, gives me opportunities to practice the other volleyball skills. It was very humbling and frustrating to be so bad at defense, but it was also genuinely challenging and fun. Also, rules such as no setting the first ball forces me to change the way I play defense. I have no doubt that the more I play beach the better my fundamentals will be.

Wind – I underestimated how much wind can affect this sport. When the wind is blowing against you, you can serve the ball as hard as you want and it’ll land in. When the wind is blowing from behind you, keeping it in the court becomes a challenge. One time, I found myself setting the ball over the net, knowing that the wind will blow it back towards my partner. It completely changes the trajectory of the ball and is another factor to always keep in mind.

Sand monsters / moving in sand – Although biologists will say sand monsters don’t exist, you will definitely experience their devilish ways the first time you play. You’ll be running or turning and all of a sudden fall in an embarrassing way. Or you’ll be wanting to show off your 30″+ vertical when you realize you got maybe 3″ off the ground. The sand monsters drag you down and make you feel like your legs have betrayed you. Your approach in beach is completely different than indoor, requiring you to jump more up rather than forward. Even though I’ve hit the ball thousands of times in indoor play, I was struggling to connect on the beach. Sand monsters don’t mess around. I definitely recommend doing some drills or hitting lines in the sand before playing for the first time.

“pokey/claw”, “tomahawk”, “gator” – Learning to do these moves seems like a necessity for beach volleyball, with the pokey being the most important. Because rules for setting are much stricter in beach volleyball, there’s a need to have tools that give you good control of the ball without bumping it.

What to Bring:

Sun Protection Sunglasses/Hat – I’ve had the chance to speak with former Olympian Pat Powers during one of his volleyball clinics. He said that even on cloudy days, he’ll still wear sunglasses. Why? To prevent the opponents from seeing his eyes and getting clues on his plans. Sneaky sneaky. It is also very important when it’s sunny because looking directly into the sun is not recommended. Sunscreen- Protect your skin! Skin cancer is a serious issue and risks can be greatly lowered just by using sunscreen. If possible, avoid products using Oxybenzone and instead look for non-nano sunscreen. Sunscreen using zinc oxide or titanium dioxide tend to be used for non-nano. Non-nano sunscreen basically means the chemicals used in the sunscreen won’t wash off into the ocean and kill marine life! Beach umbrella –

Equipment Volleyball(s)/ball pump – If you only bring one ball, a lot of time will be spent chasing the ball after it’s been hit out. Avoid this by bringing a few balls so that play won’t be interrupted as often. Boundary lines – If the courts you’re playing at do not have lines, it’s important to have them. You can physically dig out boundaries in the sand with your foot, but this isn’t ideal. Buying adjustable lines may sound convenient, but they are annoying if you only plan on playing doubles. For those on a budget, cheaper nylon lines will work fine. However, for the more financially stable, I would recommend the wider types. Board shorts/swimwear – You can just wear shorts, too, but being able to rinse off all the sand (and you will have a lot of sand on you) after you’re done playing feels great. Towel – “You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.” (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)

Others Water – It’s SO important to stay hydrated, and it’s always better to have extra water than not enough. Snacks/Sport Drinks Music – Grab some portable speakers and play your favorite music! Remember that you’re out there to have fun and exercise!



Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!