In this product review article, I’ll be breaking down two rather inexpensive fundamental training aids. Both of these items aren’t necessary for a successful and established team, but they can help young kids in your feeder camps understand some of the basic and fundamental skills of the game. If you have ever been stuck with a few kids in your camp that can’t seem to serve over the net from the 10 foot line, or can’t pass the ball in a direct line, then these products might help you achieve some success instead of having to spend way to much time on a few laggers and neglect the rest of your campers who are up to speed.

Both products are distributed by Tandem Sport, based in Louisville, Kentucky and a trusted name in volleyball training devices and coaching aides. There are several products I have experience with and will be adding as this Web site grows.

Tandem Sport Pass Rite

For some volleyball players, the skill of forearm passing is the hardest part of the game. The Tandem Sport Volleyball Pass Rite is a one-person training tool that will help players retain proper muscle memory throughout the passing motion.

The construction of the device is as follows; an orange elastic band prevents excessive arm movement by attaching to the player’s wrists and ankles by utilizing a comfortable and lightweight Velcro straps. One-size-fits-all, and the Pass Rite can adjusts to accommodate players of any height.

TVT: The Pass-Rite does seem awkward at first, and you may get some players acting silly at first, but they can really get a feel for the correct passing form while using it. I use the device at younger ages, especially those kids that just can’t understand how important it is to deflect the ball with their platform, and direct the ball with their shoulder angle, instead of swing at it like it was a baseball.

If you find it difficult to paint a picture with words, this will do the trick. Sometimes there is nothing better than having a product like this train your player’s muscle memory. Fortunately, that is exactly what the Pass-Rite is meant to do.

This product, although in my opinion can be silly to look at, does its job really well. If you have five or more of them in your program, it’s a good number to drill with. If you coach individual lessons, you would only need one. I have several of these in my program and it helps with younger players. With only one, it takes time for one player to remove it and another to put it on, then a limited amount of repetitions later and that original player really never had a chance to try it out.

Distributed by: Tandem Sport
Cost: $25.00-$35.95 (higher prices include free shipping)
TheVolleyballTeacher rating:

Purchase a Pass-Rite from Dazadi.com

Tandem Sport Volleyball Pal

The Tandem Sport Volleyball Pal has a by-line of “Practice for hours by yourself.” The product is essentially a Velcro strap that wraps around the player’s waist, a Neoprene pouch that grips any regular size volleyball, and a stretchable bungee-like elastic cord connecting the two. It does allow players to work on their serving tosses or arm swing technique without having to chase after the ball, or needing someone else to chase it for you.

TVT: The Volleyball Pal does allow players to work on some things alone. The pouch that holds the ball is a little cumbersome and the weight on the cord side can affect a toss. The cord also has a height limit and a nice high-ish toss is not possible. However, this product does great when confronted with younger players, especially 11-13 year old girls who lack upper body strength. Many young kids need to work on solid contact with the ball during a serve or attack. This product is something that many players will outgrow, and that’s good because that would mean that they have good contact on the ball. It is nice to not have to shag your ball, but you can pretty much do the same thing against a wall.

Distributed by: Tandem Sport
Cost: $17.00-$32.95 (higher prices include free shipping)
TheVolleyballTeacher rating:

Purchase a Volleyball Pal from Dazadi.com