This isn't just a set of ball control drills; it's an ongoing dialogue between you and the volleyball.
In the previous modules, we practiced touch, rhythm, and interacting with the ball in different environments.
But to truly bring these techniques into the game, a crucial but often overlooked element is needed: the right learning mindset.
Ball control isn't just technical training; it's a collaborative process of "brain × body × ball."
5.1 Why do many people stop as soon as they make a mistake?
Many players experience this when practicing ball control: the ball isn't in the ideal position, the rhythm becomes chaotic, and the movements become choppy.
The first reaction is to catch the ball and start over.
But the problem isn't that you're making a mistake, it's that your brain is making a natural but detrimental choice for learning: avoiding uncertainty.
The brain naturally favors safety, familiarity, and predictability.
So when things start to "not be perfect," the brain wants to stop everything and regain control.
But remember, volleyball games could never be perfect all the time.
5.2 What you really need to train is the ability to "respond"
In this ball control drill, we deliberately did many things:
The goal isn't to make you make more mistakes, but to train a more important ability—the ability to continue when things go against expectations, but not "perfection."
The key to improving ball control isn't how many mistakes you make, but whether you can maintain action after a mistake occurs.
Here, I want to bring up a very important psychological shift: even if I change my posture, change my rhythm, change the environment, the ball isn't truly out of control.
It's just moved to another position, and what you need to do is readjust the angle, force, timing, etc.
When you begin to have this understanding, your tension, anxiety, and helplessness will gradually disappear.
5.3 Treat Practice as a "Conversation," Not an Exam
If you treat each practice session like an exam, you'll feel obligated to lose points for every mistake.
Then, at the slightest uncertainty, you'll stop and start over.
And you'll become increasingly tense with each practice session.
But if you treat practice as a conversation, you will find that:
Even if the process isn't perfect, your relationship with the ball continues to grow.
This is precisely what "ball control" truly aims to teach you.
5.4 Conclusion | You're Already Improving
If you can accept imperfection, keep moving, and are willing to adjust,
you're already better than yesterday!
Ball control isn't just about making the ball obey, it's about never giving up on responding to the ball under any circumstances.
Continue to play even in imperfection.
