Whether you’re a beginner finding your feet or an experienced player chasing a spot in a higher team, there are plenty of ways to improve your netball outside of your regular weekly training session.
If you’re in NetSetGO, your coaches are already building these foundations every session. Keep coming along and the skills will develop naturally. The tips below are for players who want to do a bit extra.
Make the Most of Training
Your weekly team training is the foundation. It’s where your coach works on the skills and game plans that matter for your team. To get the most out of it:
- Arrive on time and warmed up. If you’re stretching while others are already into the first drill, you’re behind from the start.
- Listen first, then do. Coaches explain drills for a reason. Understanding the purpose helps you get more from each repetition.
- Push yourself in drills. Training at 70% effort means you’ll play at 70%. The players who improve fastest are the ones who train at game intensity.
- Ask questions. If you’re not sure why you’re doing something or what you could do better, ask your coach. They want you to improve as much as you do.
Practise at Home
You don’t need a court or a partner to work on your netball. Some of the most effective practice happens in the backyard, the driveway, or against a wall.
Ball skills
- Wall passing. Stand 2–3 metres from a wall and practise chest passes, bounce passes, and shoulder passes. Focus on accuracy and catching cleanly. Increase your speed as you get more consistent.
- High catches. Throw the ball high in the air and practise catching it at full stretch, both hands then one hand. This builds confidence under high balls.
- Weak hand. Practise everything with your non-dominant hand. In a game, you won’t always have time to switch to your strong side.
Footwork
- Landing practice. Practise catching and landing on one foot, then pivoting to face different directions. The footwork rule is the one that catches most new players out. The more natural your landing feels, the fewer turnovers you’ll give away.
- Agility work. Quick feet, change of direction, and short sprints are more useful for netball than long-distance running. Ladder drills, shuttle runs, or even just sprinting between two points in the yard will help.
Fitness
Netball is a game of short, sharp movements. You don’t need a gym membership to build netball fitness.
- Aerobic base. Jog for 20 minutes at a comfortable pace, twice a week. This builds the endurance to stay sharp in the fourth quarter when tired legs start making mistakes.
- Intervals. Sprint between two points 10 metres apart, touch the ground, sprint back. Rest for 15 seconds. Repeat 10 times. This mirrors the stop-start nature of netball better than steady running.
The other thing worth remembering is that doing your training drills at full intensity is fitness training too. If you push yourself in every drill at training, you’re building game fitness and skills at the same time.
Use Game Day as Practice
Game day isn’t just about the result. It’s the best opportunity to work on your game under real pressure.
- Set a personal goal for each game. It doesn’t have to be about scoring. It might be “land every catch cleanly” or “get in front of my opponent on every lead.” One focus per game is enough.
- Watch what happens after your pass. Did your teammate have to reach for it? Was it too high, too low, too slow? Adjusting your passing based on real game feedback is how you improve fastest.
- Pay attention when you’re off the court. Watch how other players move, how they create space, how they defend. You can learn a lot from the sideline.
Watch Netball
Watching high-level netball is one of the most underrated ways to improve. You start to see patterns, positioning, and movement that you can bring into your own game.
- Super Netball games are broadcast regularly and are a great way to see elite positioning and game management.
- Watch your own position. If you play WA, watch what the WA does: where they lead, how they time their movements, where they stand at a centre pass.
- Watch with a question. Instead of just following the ball, pick one thing to focus on: “How does the GK position for a rebound?” or “How does the Centre transition from attack to defence?”
Clinics and Holiday Programs
There are plenty of opportunities to get extra coaching and court time outside of your regular club training.
Train Like a Vixen
The Melbourne Vixens run “Train Like a Vixen” clinics at the State Netball Centre in Parkville and at regional venues. Clinics are available for players aged 5–17 at various skill levels, from NetSetGO beginners to experienced players. Sessions are coached by Netball Victoria–accredited coaches and participants may get the chance to meet a Vixens player. WNC players have attended in recent years. See our write-ups from 2024 and 2023.
Melbourne Mavericks Skills Clinics
The Melbourne Mavericks run community skills clinics at the Waverley Netball Centre in Glen Waverley. Clinics cater to all ability levels and include skills and drills, match play, and strength and conditioning. Participants also get the opportunity to meet Mavericks players.
Nardelli Coaching
Nardelli Coaching is a Melbourne-based netball academy offering group training programs, advanced academy sessions for 15U and older, representative preparation, one-on-one coaching, and school holiday programs. A good option for players who want specialist coaching outside of club training.
NETFIT Netball
NETFIT Netball runs full-day school holiday clinics across Victoria for players aged 5–15. Programs are split by age and experience level, from beginners through to advanced players. Sessions are coached by qualified trainers and elite netball professionals, covering skills, game preparation, and match play.
Australian Sports Camps
Australian Sports Camps run three-day netball camps during school holidays for players aged 5–15, including sessions in the Templestowe area. Camps focus on skills development with small group sizes and qualified coaches. ASC have also run clinics at our club. See our post about the free January 2025 school holiday clinic supported by Woolworths Eat Fresh.
Development Pathways
As players progress, there are opportunities to take their netball further:
- Representative netball — from the 11 and Under age group, players can trial for Manningham Representative Netball. Rep training provides a higher level of coaching and competition against the best players from other associations. From there, players may be selected for the Chisholm Region team to compete at the Victorian State Titles.
- Umpiring — learning to umpire gives you a deeper understanding of the rules and how the game flows. Many players find their court awareness improves after they start umpiring. See our umpiring guide for how to get started.
The Biggest Factor
Consistency matters more than intensity. A player who practises their wall passing for 10 minutes three times a week will improve faster than one who does a single hour-long session once a month. Small, regular efforts compound over a season.
The same applies to training and games. Players who attend every session, play every game, and stay engaged even when it’s cold and raining are the ones who improve the most. There are no shortcuts, but netball rewards effort.
Keep Going
Improving at netball is a journey. Some weeks you’ll feel like everything clicks; other weeks nothing will go right. That’s normal. The players who stick with it, through the tough games and the dropped passes, are the ones who look back at the end of the season and realise how far they’ve come.
If you’re looking for more ways to develop your skills, talk to your coach. They can give you specific advice based on your position and your game.