Thigh-Chest-Volley Ladder

Build confident aerial control on thigh, chest and instep, cushioning the ball dead or into a playable space before returning it.

Pairs face each other 5 yards apart, server with the ball in hand, controller on a cone. Mark a second serving line at 8 yards for the higher ladder levels.

1. Level 1: underarm serve to the thigh — cushion, let it drop, pass back along the ground. 5 reps each, then swap.
2. Level 2: serve to the chest — cushion down to the feet, take one settling touch, pass back. 5 reps each.
3. Level 3: serve to the instep — kill the ball dead in front of you, pass back. 5 reps each.
4. Level 4: server steps back to 8 yards and throws higher — controller chooses the right surface and calls it before the ball arrives.
5. Any pair completing a clean level of 5 moves up; a drop sends you back one level.

• Get in line with the flight early — move your feet first.
• Relax the surface on contact — cushion, don't bounce.
• Let the ball drop below knee height before playing it.
• Call your surface early: 'thigh!', 'chest!' — decide before it arrives.

• Players reach for the ball with a stiff leg and it bounces away — soften the surface and give with the contact.
• The chest control goes straight down onto the toes — angle the chest back so the ball pops up then drops in front.
• Servers throw flat and fast to finish quicker — the serve is a gift: high, soft and central.

• Control with one surface and return the pass inside two touches total.
• Server moves left or right after the throw — return the pass to where they've moved.
• Volley the return straight back to the server's hands, no bounce.

• Shorter, softer serves from 3 yards.
• Allow the ball to bounce once before controlling.
• Catch-and-check: controller traps the ball with the sole before passing back.

• The controlled ball must settle inside one step of the controller — chasing a heavy touch restarts the rep.