You don’t need a full team to get better at beach volleyball. Two players and a ball is all it takes. In fact, since beach volleyball is a 2v2 game, drilling with your partner is the most game-relevant practice you can do.
These 12 drills cover every skill you need — passing, setting, serving, hitting, defense, and transitions. Each one is designed specifically for two people on a sand court.
Grab a good beach volleyball, get to the court, and get to work.
1. Pepper
The classic volleyball warmup, and it works for a reason.
Setup: Partners face each other about 15-20 feet apart.
How to run it: Player A passes to Player B. Player B sets back to Player A. Player A hits (controlled, not full power) to Player B. Player B digs, and the cycle restarts: dig, set, hit. Keep the ball going as long as possible.
What it improves: Ball control, passing platform, setting accuracy, controlled attacking.
Duration: 10-15 minutes as a warmup. Count consecutive contacts — try to beat your record.
Tip: Keep hits controlled. This isn’t about power. If you’re sending rockets at your partner from 15 feet away, you’re doing it wrong.
2. Serve and Pass
Nothing simulates a game like actual serve receive.
Setup: One player on each side of the net. Server behind the baseline, passer in the middle of the opposite court.
How to run it: Server serves. Passer receives and aims their pass to the target area (usually the net, right of center). Switch roles every 10 serves.
What it improves: Serve accuracy, serve receive, reading the serve, pass placement.
Duration: 20 minutes. Each player serves 30-50 balls.
Variations:
- Passer calls “in” or “out” before the ball crosses the net
- Server targets specific zones (1-6)
- Passer passes from different starting positions
3. Setting Accuracy Challenge
Precise setting wins rallies. This drill builds that precision.
Setup: One player at the net (setter position), one on the opposite side. Place a target on the sand — a towel, cone, or drawn circle — about 3 feet from the net on the hitting side.
How to run it: The feeder tosses or passes balls to the setter. The setter hand-sets or bump-sets to the target. Score a point for each set that lands on or touches the target. First to 15.
What it improves: Set accuracy, hand positioning, consistent contact point.
Duration: 15 minutes. Switch roles halfway.
Why this matters in beach: Setting is called much more strictly than indoor. Clean, accurate sets separate intermediate players from advanced ones. Learn the differences between beach and indoor to understand why.
4. Hitting Lines (Two-Person Version)
Setup: One player sets from the net position. The other approaches and hits.
How to run it: The setter tosses to themselves and sets a hittable ball. The hitter approaches and attacks. Aim for specific zones on the opposite court. Switch every 10-15 swings.
What it improves: Approach footwork in sand, timing, shot selection, setting under simulated pressure.
Duration: 15-20 minutes.
Variations:
- Call the shot before approach (line, cross, cut)
- Setter varies set height and distance
- Hitter must place 3 in a row to the same zone before switching
5. Defensive Positioning Drill
Setup: One player at the net with a ball, one in the back court in defensive position.
How to run it: The net player hits or tips balls at varying speeds and angles. The defender reads and digs each ball, aiming to pass it back to the net area. Start with controlled hits and increase intensity.
What it improves: Defensive reads, reaction time, digging technique, court coverage.
Duration: 10 minutes per side. 3 sets each.
Key focus: Watch the hitter’s shoulder and arm angle, not the ball. This is how you read where the attack is going before it happens.
6. Serve Receive to Attack
This is your most game-like drill for two.
Setup: One player serves, one receives. After the pass, the receiver self-sets and attacks back over the net.
How to run it: Server serves. Receiver passes, then transitions to either bump-set themselves and attack, or pass high enough to take an approach and hit. The server covers defense on the attack.
What it improves: Serve receive, transition offense, self-setting, the pass-set-hit rhythm.
Duration: 20 minutes. Switch every 10 serves.
Why it matters: In real beach volleyball, after you pass the serve, you often have to create your own attack. This drill simulates that exact sequence.
Sand makes blocking footwork harder. This drill builds the movement patterns.
Setup: Both players at the net on the same side, about 10 feet apart.
How to run it: Player A simulates a set direction (points left or right). Player B shuffle-steps to that direction and jumps to block position. Land, recover, and repeat. Do 10 reps, then Player A points the other direction. Switch roles.
What it improves: Lateral movement in sand, block timing, jump technique on sand, reading the set.
Duration: 10 minutes. Keep rest periods short.
Progression: Add a ball — Player A tosses a ball at varying angles and Player B attempts to block it.
8. Chase Drill
This builds hustle and extends your defensive range.
Setup: Player A at the net with a ball. Player B starts at center court.
How to run it: Player A tosses or hits balls to random locations — short, deep, left, right, even off the court. Player B sprints to every ball and tries to play it up. Immediately after playing the ball (or chasing it), Player B returns to center and Player A sends another.
What it improves: Speed in sand, court coverage, never-give-up mentality, reading ball trajectory.
Duration: 3 sets of 60 seconds each, with 30-second rest between sets. Switch roles.
This drill is brutal. That’s the point. Games have moments where you need to run down a ball you have no business getting to. This builds that ability.
9. Beach Dig Series
Setup: Player A stands on a box or elevated platform at the net (or just stands close and hits downward). Player B is in the back court.
How to run it: Player A hits hard-driven balls at Player B’s body, left side, and right side. Player B digs each ball. Do 5 balls to each zone, then switch.
What it improves: Reaction time, hand positioning for digs, absorbing hard-hit balls.
Duration: 10-15 minutes per player.
Key: Stay low. Bent knees, weight forward, hands ready. The lower you start, the faster you can react.
10. Transition Drill
The most underrated skill in beach volleyball is transitioning from defense to offense.
Setup: Both players on the same side. Player A at the net, Player B in the back.
How to run it: Player A tosses a ball over the net (simulating an opponent’s attack). Player B digs it. Player A sets the dig. Player B approaches and attacks. Reset and repeat.
What it improves: Dig-to-attack transition, communication, set timing off a dig, offensive approach after defensive play.
Duration: 15 minutes. 10 reps, then switch roles.
This is what separates good teams from great teams. Anyone can dig a ball. Turning that dig into a kill is the skill that wins matches.
11. Short Court Game
Setup: Use half the court (net to the attack line or midcourt). Both players on opposite sides.
How to run it: Play a real game but only on the front half of the court. First to 11, rally scoring. All shots must land in the short court area.
What it improves: Touch, shot control, soft game, net play, reflexes.
Duration: Play 2-3 games. About 15-20 minutes total.
Why it works: Removing the deep court forces you to use finesse shots — cut shots, deep line shots become short line shots, and every ball requires touch rather than power.
12. Butterfly Serving
Setup: Both players on the same side, each with a ball.
How to run it: Player A serves, then immediately sprints to the opposite side to retrieve the ball. Player B serves from the same side, then sprints across. Keep alternating. Each player serves 20 balls.
What it improves: Serving under fatigue, conditioning, serve consistency.
Duration: 10-15 minutes.
The conditioning element is key. You’ll be serving tired in games. If you only practice serving when fresh, your late-set serves will suffer.
Building a Practice Plan
A solid two-person practice runs 60-90 minutes. Here’s a template:
- Pepper warmup — 10 minutes
- Serve and pass — 15 minutes
- Skill focus drill (pick 2-3 from above) — 30 minutes
- Game-like drill (transition or serve-receive-to-attack) — 15 minutes
- Competitive finish (short court game) — 15 minutes
Rotate your skill focus drills each session. If you drilled blocking footwork Monday, work on defense Tuesday and hitting Wednesday.
Understanding the rules will also help you design drills that match real game situations. And if you’re looking for drills you can do in the pool, check out our water volleyball drills for beginners.
FAQ
How often should two players practice together for beach volleyball?
Three to four times per week is ideal for competitive improvement. Even two sessions per week will produce noticeable gains if you’re consistent. Each session should run 60-90 minutes with focused drills, not just playing games.
What’s the most important drill for beach volleyball beginners?
Serve and pass. It’s the most frequent sequence in a match and the foundation of everything else. If you can’t pass the serve, nothing else matters. Spend at least 15-20 minutes per session on serve receive before moving to other drills.
Can you improve at beach volleyball without a court?
You can work on individual skills like ball control, setting against a wall, and conditioning anywhere. Sand-specific footwork and game situations require a court though. If you don’t have access to sand, practicing on grass transfers reasonably well.
How long does it take to see improvement from drilling?
With consistent practice (3-4 times per week), most players notice real improvement in 3-4 weeks. Serving accuracy and passing consistency improve fastest. Defensive reads and game sense take longer — usually 2-3 months of focused work.
Should we practice drills or just play games?
Both, but drills should make up the majority of practice time, especially for developing players. Games are fun and build game sense, but drills isolate specific skills that need targeted repetition. A good split is 70% drills, 30% game play during practice sessions.