Water Polo: Six Ways to Improve Your Skills

There are a little more than 400,000 people around the world who actively play water polo. Keep in mind, however, that this is only in official games.

There are plenty of other people who play water polo yet aren't registered with any official organization!

If you're interested in joining a USA water polo group, there are a few skills you should have. Let's check out what skills you need in order to succeed at water polo. 

1. Maximize Your Swimming Skills

Since water polo is a watersport, it shouldn't come as a surprise that you'll need to hone in on your swimming skills. Developing a strong swimming exercise routine can help you enhance your skills so that you can succeed in your next water polo game. 

There are tons of different strokes that you can practice, but a few that will really help you enhance your water polo skills include:

• Backstroke
• Freestyle
• Breastroke

These strokes focus on power and endurance as well as speed, rather than fancy turns and streamlines. Those skills make it easier for you to get ahead of your opponents when playing water polo.

In addition, perfecting your swimming skills will help you feel more comfortable in deep water. This will make it easier to stay afloat during wrestling in the game or if someone pushes you underwater during play.

2. Work on Building Strength

If you've ever watched a water polo game you probably thought that it looked easy. However, the truth is that it takes quite a bit of strength to succeed at water polo.

The reason for that is because you're swimming in deep water for periods of ten minutes or longer. That can be pretty tiring and requires a good deal of strength to stay afloat. 

On top of that, water polo players in the 2-meter defender or hole set positions spend a lot of time wrestling opponents. That means they've got to have strong muscles in order to keep opponents at bay. 

If you want to get good at water polo, think about building strength. You can do this by:

• Weight lifting
• Doing bodyweight exercises
• Using resistance bands

3. Embrace Endurance

Did you know that water polo games only last about 35 minutes tops? These games are pretty short, meaning that many people think they don't need a lot of endurance!

However, the truth is that water polo is a pretty wild workout that requires a lot of endurance. That's because it functions as a high-intensity type of training where you're required to expend energy in short bursts with cool-down periods in between.

In water polo, you spend periods of time with an elevated heart rate before allowing it to rest for a bit. Then, you send it skyrocketing again as the ball flies toward you!

Practicing endurance in your workouts can help you improve your water polo abilities and enhance your skills in the game. 

4. Improve Your Throwing Ability

Another technique that you'll want to master in order to become truly talented at water polo is your throwing ability. That's because you'll spend a good chunk of time throwing the ball in water polo.

During the game, you need to be able to make accurate passes to your teammates. You also need to have a good shot to score a goal while playing the game.

There are tons of great ways to practice throwing. However, the best way to get better is to simply spend time throwing. Head down to the basketball court or grab a friend and play catch for a while to get better at your throwing skills.

5. Get Your Hand/Eye Coordination Under Control

Hand/eye coordination is the ability to coordinate the movements of your arms with what your eye is visually seeing. This is critical in many different sports, such as baseball, soccer, kickball, and you guessed it, water polo!

When you practice hand/eye coordination, you'll practice telling your arm to meet the ball when it arrives. You'll also practice coordinating your catches and throws to ensure that you keep your arm steady once the ball hits your hand. 

A great way to practice hand/eye coordination is to simply spend some time playing catch. Catch helps you practice tracking a ball and catching it with your hands, as well as helps you control your movements. 

6. Pack on the Power

What is power exactly? In the sports world, power reviews to the combination of speed, strength, and coordination. You'll need a lot of power to make sudden moves as well as for throwing the ball hard. 

If you've ever watched professional water polo players, you've most likely noticed that they can throw the ball hard, sending it flying over great distances. Well, if you want to succeed at water polo, you need to master that trick as well. 

Spending time focusing on your hand-eye coordination will make it easier for you to send the ball flying. Combine that with some strength exercises and you'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Become a Part of the Water Polo Community

With these tips on the skills you'll need to successfully play water polo, you're ready to become a part of a unique community. Just remember to apply and develop these skills to win your next water polo game.

Are you looking for a community to help you enhance your water polo game? Sign up with our community today and take your fitness to the next level.