Welcome to the Arm Swing Essentials – A Free Resource for Volleyball Athletes and Coaches

You’re in the right place if you’re looking to unlock more power in your attack and reduce shoulder and back painwhile doing it.

This free resource was created to give athletes, coaches, and parents a deeper understanding of the arm swing—and provide practical tools to start making real, lasting changes.

We’ll walk you through how to begin making those changes physically, technically, and mentally—so you can hit harder, move better, and do it all with less pain.

Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with thousands of club athletes across North America, consult with University programs in Canada and NCAA programs in the U.S., and help over 50 National Team, Professional, and Olympic athletes refine their swing mechanics. What we’ve seen time and time again is that better arm swing mechanics lead to higher velocities and fewer non-contact injuries—yet this knowledge still isn’t common in the volleyball world.

We’re on a mission to change that.

👇 Keep scrolling to dive into the lessons, drills, and insights we’ve developed. If you have any questions along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help.

Why Arm Swing? The Story Behind the Movement

It always helps to understand the "why" behind the work. In this section, Co-Founder Nick Del Bianco shares the story of how the Arm Swing Academy came to exist in this unique space—and why arm swing development is such a critical (and often overlooked) part of an athlete’s journey.

You’ll learn what led us to specialize in this area, the patterns we’ve seen across athletes at every level, and why this training can be a game-changer for both performance and long-term health.

👇 Hit play and get to know the movement behind the movement.

3 Non-Negotiables for a Powerful, Pain-Free Arm Swing

Not every athlete’s arm swing will (or should) look exactly the same—and that’s a good thing. But over the years, we’ve found that there are three key elements that show up consistently in the most powerful and sustainable arm swings.

These are our non-negotiables—the foundations we believe every volleyball athlete should build into their swing if they want to hit harder with less pain.

👇 Let’s break them down and show you why they matter.

Rotation

Overview

Low Draw Back

Looseness

Making Changes Physically

The arm swing is an on-court movement—but it’s built on a foundation of shoulder and spine mobility, strength, power, and speed.

To truly improve your arm swing, you must develop the ability to get strong and stable in arm swing-specific positions—off the court.

In fact, for many athletes, simply addressing the physical side leads to more power and less pain, even before making changes to their on-court mechanics.

In this section, we’ll dive into the physical bucket and help you:

  • Assess how your body moves in ways that directly impact your arm swing

  • Follow a pre-volleyball movement prep designed to clean up movement patterns

  • Access weight room resources to build strength and capacity where it matters most

These tools are here to help you make real, lasting changes that carry over into your game.

Improve your Rotation

Improve your Shoulder

Pre-Volleyball Movement Prep

Improve your Overhead Strength

Making Changes Technically

Now let’s get on court! 🏐

With a solid understanding of the physical foundations behind the arm swing—and as you begin building strength and mobility off the court—we can now shift focus to technical improvements that make an immediate impact.

In this section, we’re diving into what we see as one of the lowest-hanging fruits in arm swing development: the follow-through.

Far too many athletes—whether consciously or not—stop their body from fully rotating after contact. This not only limits power, but it often contributes to discomfort or injury over time.

We’ll break down this concept in detail and introduce you to a series of drills that have helped everyone from grassroots players to National Team athletes unlock more fluid, powerful swings.

👇 Let’s get into it and start reshaping the way your arm swing feels and performs.

The Technical Bucket

Step 1: Standing Throws

Step 3: Jumping Throws

Step 4: Jumping Attacks

Step 2: Standing Attacks

Making Changes Mentally

You're not done yet.

You can have the best weight room exercises…
You can run the best on-court drills…
But none of it will make a lasting difference if you’re not kind and patient with yourself as you go through the process.

Real change takes time. It’s not always pretty—and that’s okay.
Mistakes are part of the path to more velocity and less pain.

If you've found this resource helpful and you're ready for what’s next, here are a few ways to continue your journey:

  1. Masterclass Course (coming soon) – A deep dive into unlocking your best arm swing. Walking you step-by-step through the process of identifying your current patterns and beginning the process of change from there.

  2. Arm Swing Academy App – Make changes anytime, anywhere, right from the palm of your hand.

  3. Arm Swing Clinics – Join us in person for a live, on-court experience designed to help you hit harder with less pain.

  4. 1-on-1 Coaching – Work directly with Coach Nick in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for a personalized experience.