Netball
How to be a better netballer
Here are some tips on how to be at top of your game from those at the top of theirs.
Star-studded Sirens players Sara Bayman, Claire Brownie and Vanessa Walker give us their advice on how you can become the best netballer out there. Spoiler… there’s no magic fix, but a great attitude and some simple drills can really help you go the extra mile.
Between them, these players have clocked up a lot of valuable time on the international and domestic netball court. Their advice involves tips on staying strong mentally and the best drills for improving your game physically.
What advice would you give to people wanting to improve their game?
Don't go thinking that netball is for the genteel
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Sara: Be honest about what your weaknesses are and work on them, it’s usually the stuff you don’t enjoy!
Vanessa: Never give up and be confident in what you do. If things don’t go your way (which happens to everyone) learn from it, but most importantly enjoy it!
Claire: Work hard and enjoy your training. If you are training with like minded people it is always easier because they will be putting the same amount of effort into drills and getting better at the same rate as you, so you’ll progress quicker.
Summary: Enjoy the game and keep at it.
What’s your favourite drill and why?
Sara: Anything that is contested (attacker vs defender) stretches you to raise your level against the opponent.
Vanessa: The four-corner variation drill. It improves your attacking skills, such as timing, change of direction and speed.
Claire: I really like working at high intensity and developing my footwork in match related practices. An invasive practice where I'm challenged physically, mentally and skilfully is my favourite. The practices don't need to be complicated to do that. A simple two-vs-two drill with two midcourt players (one attacker and one defender) and a shooter and a defender works well. You have to work together to either take the ball down to score or restrict the attackers to as few goals as possible in two-minutes.
Summary: Timing is a common theme in all of these drills, where you’ll need to out-run your opponent to succeed.
What’s the best way of working on hand-eye-co-ordination?
Sara: You, a netball and a wall. There’s so many different things you can do on your own against a wall, one handed passing, turning, going back and up for the ball, testing your range. The wall gives the most honest feedback because whatever you put in it gives you back, good or bad pass.
Vanessa: Wall work with a netball or a tennis ball. Tossing the ball against the wall and catching with two hands or one hand then the other can improve hand-eye-co-ordination.
Claire: Getting as many touches on the ball as possible, but keep it fun yet challenging. Simple paired work or use of a wall if you’re doing it at home can make a significant impact to your performance on court.
Summary: The wall is the unanimous winner here. Time to work on your own can allow you to iron out mistakes and take the time to improve.
What's one thing can a player do to become a better netballer?
Sara: There are a million different things you can do but consistency is key. Turning up to every training session and putting in 100% effort, always being a good teammate and trying to get better all the time. Consistent behaviours bring about the biggest change.
Vanessa: Train hard and work even harder at the skills you are not good at (or hate).
Claire: Watch and get involved in as much netball as you can. The more hours your are involved in sport, either watching or playing, the more you learn and can put into your own game.
Summary: Turn up and give 100%.
What can you do off the court to help improve your game?
Sara: Look after yourself. Get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated, do the little extras like stretching and foam rolling to make sure you’re as ready as possible for the next match or session.
Vanessa: Do a lot of small individual skill work. Such as wall work, shooting (if you are a shooter), cone drills to work on fast feet and so on.
Claire: The game is so fast and dynamic now. You need to have top fitness levels to compete for the full 60-minutes. So away from the netball court, I would be encouraging you to get as strong, fast and fit as you can so your netball skills remain high for the full game.
Summary: You guessed it, sleeping, eating and training well and consistently will work in your favour on the court.