Self-setting Ladder
Set the ball straight up to yourself at higher and higher heights. A solo drill that builds soft hands and clean contact.
- Focus
- Hand shape and soft contact
- Level
- Beginner
- Players
- 1
- Equipment
- 1 ball
- Time
- 5–8 min
Side view
Side view: the player sets the ball straight up, a little higher each time.
📍 Setup
Any space with a few metres of ceiling height. No net needed.
🪜 How to run it
- Hold the hands above the forehead in a “window” shape, thumbs and index fingers forming a triangle.
- Set the ball 30–50 cm above the hands, ten times in a row.
- Raise the height to about 1 m for the next ten.
- Then set to 2 m and higher, catching the ball in setting shape every so often to check the hands.
- Finish with alternating low and high sets.
🏆 Scoring
Count sets in a row at each height. If the ball spins a lot or you have to move more than a step, start again.
🧑🏫 Coaching this drill
What success looks like
The ball goes straight up with little spin and comes back down to the same spot.
Coaching cues
“Window above the forehead”“Finger pads, not palms”“Extend arms and legs together”
Common mistakes
- Ball spins or drifts. Fix: Contact the ball evenly with both hands. Check that the thumbs point back at the eyes.
- Slapping the ball. Fix: Let the fingers “give” and absorb the ball before pushing it back up.
➖ Make it easier
Start from a sitting position, setting just above the face.
➕ Make it harder
Alternate a set with a quarter turn, or set against a wall at a target line.
When to move on
When you can do 30 clean sets in a row at 1 m, move on to Partner Setting.