By Abigail Gannaban · Last updated October 28, 2026
If your passes drift off target in serve receive, the problem usually isn't your arms swinging. It's the platform angle: the ball leaves your forearms at whatever angle they face. This volleyball serve receive drill fixes that alone, with a volleyball ball rebounder (a rebound net) sending balls to your left and right so you practice angling the platform to a target instead of passing straight back.
What drill fixes your platform angle?
The deflection-angle passing drill taught by Mick Haley does. In his Volleyball MasterCoaches session, players keep their weight on the front foot at contact and drop the inside shoulder to angle the platform to the target. Jim Stone, Ohio State's longtime coach and a USA Youth National Team coach, adds the reason it matters: serves don't come straight at you, so reps that only arrive at your midline miss the skill. You need balls to both sides, and the sharper the angle of the serve, the sharper the platform.
How do you run it alone on a ball rebounder?
Set up so the net sends the ball to your side and the target sits at an angle:
- Raise the frame toward its top setting and tilt the net back so returns arc up and out toward you.
- Put a target (a chair, a hoop on the floor or a laundry basket) a few steps off to one side, where a setter would stand relative to you.
- Stand off-center from the net, not square to it, so the return arrives outside your hip.
- Feed the net with a two-hand overhead throw or an underhand hit aimed at the side of the net away from you.
- Pass the return to the target, not back into the net. Weight on the front foot, inside shoulder down, platform faces the target.
- Do a set, then mirror everything to the other side.
Be honest about the limit: the net gives you a firm, predictable ball. It won't float, dip or jump-serve, so it trains the platform angle, not reading a server.
What should you check on every pass?
Check two things, both from Haley's drill. First, is your weight on the front foot at contact? Passing off the back foot tilts the platform up and the ball sails. Second, did the inside shoulder drop? In practice that's the shoulder on the side the ball arrives: for a ball outside your right hip with the target to your left, the right shoulder drops, which turns the platform toward the target. Freeze after each pass and look at where your forearms point. If they point at the net, you passed straight back; if they point at the target, the angle was right. Even reps to both sides matter, since Stone's point is that receivers face serves on either side.
Drill setup
| Element | Setting | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Contact keys | Weight on front foot; drop inside shoulder for platform-to-target angle | Mick Haley, Volleyball MasterCoaches |
| Ball direction | Balls to both left and right, not straight at the platform | Jim Stone, The Art of Coaching Volleyball |
| Ball rebounder | The Premier XL Multi Sport Ball Rebounder, high frame, net tilted back | All Ball Pro adaptation |
| Target | Off to the side at a setter's angle | All Ball Pro adaptation |
| Balance | Equal sets on each side | Stone |
Which ball rebounder works best for this drill?
The Premier XL fits best; the Varsity works in a tighter garage. This drill feeds off-center on purpose so returns land outside your hip, and an off-center feed needs net to spare. The Premier XL (PXL) Multi Sport Ball Rebounder has a 5' x 7' net frame, a 35 sq ft target, and adjusts up to 8'. The Varsity Multi Sport Ball Rebounder has a 5' x 5' net, 25 sq ft. That's 1.4 times the target on the Premier XL (35 ÷ 25), so a feed aimed at one side still lands on the net. All Ball Pro builds its ball rebounders in St. Louis, Missouri, with galvanized, powder-coated steel frames on wheels, so a passer can roll one into the garage or out to a court. For defensive reps after this, try our digging technique drills, and for timing your season, the NCAA volleyball championship training guide.
FAQ
How do I stop shanking serve receive passes? Angle the platform to the target before contact: weight on the front foot and drop the inside shoulder. Most shanks come from a platform still facing where the ball came from.
Can you practice serve receive without a server? You can practice the platform angle, not the read. A ball rebounder or partner toss gives you balls to each side; reading float and topspin serves still needs a real server.
Which shoulder do you drop when passing? Drop the shoulder on the side the ball arrives, so the platform tilts back toward the target. Haley's drill cues this as dropping the inside shoulder.
Should you face the target when you pass? Not on most serves. Stay facing the ball and use the platform angle to send it to the target, which is what the deflection-angle drill trains.
Point the platform, not your feet
Train the angle to both sides until it's automatic. See The Premier XL (PXL) Multi Sport Ball Rebounder.