TOP 5 NETBALL DRILLS: MASTERING NETBALL TRAINING
Ready to enhance your netball skills and become a force reckoned with on the court? NetballOne.com is back with our handpicked selection of top five netball drills.
Whether you’re practising solo at home or want to excel during team training sessions, these drills are designed to sharpen your skills and take your netball game to the next level. So grab a ball, clear some space, and let’s dig into these game-changing drills!
NETBALL DRILL 1: PERFECTING FOOTWORK for Enhanced Agility
Focus: Developing outside turns and precise foot placement for improved agility.
Equipment: netball and a wall (approximately 3 meters long).
How to Execute the Netball Footwork Drill:
Why This Drill Is Essential: This drill hones your ability to perform outside turns, place the ball accurately, and execute quick pivots. By practising these skills, you’ll enhance your overall maneuverability on the court.
Did You Know
Harrison Hoist? It’s a special defenders netball maneuver where one defender lifts another during a jump to gain elevation . It was named after NZ team Northern Mystics’ defender Anna Harrison, who first showcased the move in the ANZ championships 2012.
NETBALL DRILL 2: ACHIEVE SHOOTING PRECISION
Focus: Elevating shooting accuracy and mastering long-range shots.
Equipment: A netball and a netball post.
How to Engage in the Netball Shooting Drill:
Why This Drill Is Beneficial: This shooting drill is an opportunity to refine your shooting range and accuracy. It also simulates game pressure, helping you to perform your best when it truly counts.
Netball Drill 3: Mastering Precise Passing
Focus: Enhancing passing accuracy and quick decision-making.
Equipment: A netball, a wall (with marked numbers if possible), and, optionally, a partner.
Executing the Netball Passing Drill:
Advancing the Netball Passing Drill:
Option 1:
- Begin with your back to the wall and receive three random throws.
- After collecting the third ball, turn and pass to your chosen numbered spot.
- If working with a partner, have them call out the number.
Option 2:
- Introduce a defender and choose a numbered spot to target.
- Overcome the challenge of passing around the defender.
- Gradually increase the defender’s involvement.
Why This Drill Is Essential: This engaging passing drill enhances accuracy across various passing styles and cultivates quick decision-making skills, fostering trust in your instincts.
Netball Drill 4: Elevate Defensive Footwork
Focus: Swift footwork during defensive maneuvers, maintaining ball sight, and timing interceptions.
Equipment: A netball, a wall, a feeder, and four targets (cones or water bottles).
Executing the Netball Marking Drill:
Why This Drill Is Beneficial: This drill fosters quick footwork essential for successful defensive play. It sharpens your ability to intercept the ball and shut down opponents effectively.
Did You Know
A version called High Five Netball is promoted by the All England Netball Association. It is aimed at 9- to 11-year-old girls and includes only five positions. The players swap positions during the game. When a player is not on the court, she is expected to help the game in some other way, such as being the timekeeper or scorekeeper. High Five Netball has four six-minute quarters.
Netball Drill 5: Securing Dominance against Defenders
Focus: Maneuvering around opponents, maintaining a front position, and staying ball-side.
Equipment: An object to work around (e.g., a chair or bin), two targets, a feeder, and a netball.
Dominating Your Defender;
Why This Drill Is Essential: This drill cultivates quick footwork, positioning, and strategy in maintaining a dominant stance against defenders. It mimics in-game situations, refining your ability to seize control and dictate the ball’s trajectory.
Netball Drills- Quick FAQS
In a Superleague netball season, players typically undergo 3 court training sessions, 2 bike conditioning sessions, and 4 weightlifting sessions weekly. They also engage in daily shooting practice, mobility exercises, and rehab/prehab before every session.
The essential skills in netball include catching with solid hands, accurate passing, agile footwork, quick turning ability, and varied movement techniques to outmaneuver opponents.
Pre-game nutrition provides the energy needed for sustained performance on the netball court. Consuming the proper nutrients before a match ensures players have the stamina and focus required to excel.
Rehab/prehab exercises help prevent injuries by addressing potential weaknesses and imbalances before each training session. They ensure players enter sessions with their bodies in optimal condition.
Aspiring netball players can improve their skills by practising the five fundamental skills (catching, passing, footwork, turning ability, and movement), working on their teamwork, enhancing game intelligence, and continually challenging themselves to learn and adapt.