Beach volleyball requires unique skills, and would not suit all successful players of the indoor game. The style of play on the sand tends to be a bit different than on a court. The players must have outstanding ball skills and court speed, but they must also be able to handle the many difficulties of playing outdoors, such as the soft unstable sand, the environmental effects such as the sun and wind. Partners must be well matched or opponents will win easy points by exploiting the weaker player.
The difficulty of moving around on the sand makes it a very strenuous game. To train for beach volleyball, athletes must spend a lot of time developing their lower body strength so they can move quickly and accurately across the ground, despite the friction and resistance of the sand. While powerful legs are an important part of successful volleyball play, the ability to jump high and hard and land without injury are substantially more vital in beach volleyball than in court volleyball.