Overhead Placement Game
Why this drill
An overhead that lands in the middle of the court is a rally; an overhead into a corner is a point. Called targets under a live defender turn the overhead from a celebration into a placed shot.
Setup
One player at mid-court on one side (the smasher); the other at their own baseline (the defender) with balls. Full-width court.
The drill
The defender throws or hits a lob to the smasher, calling a corner — "left deep" or "right deep" — while the ball is in the air. The smasher must put the overhead into the called half's back quarter; the defender plays anything reachable and the point runs out. Ten lobs, then rotate. Score the smasher: 2 for the called corner, 1 for any overhead that stays in, 0 for a miss — 15 of 20 is strong. The late call is the drill's engine: it forces the smasher to keep their feet moving under the ball instead of pre-committing.
One thought to take on court
Sideways, feet first — the overhead is placed with your body position long before the arm swings.