Yes I Can Volleyball Training Camps
A Question for Dave:
What's the best way to teach someone how to vary their shot without revealing
what the shot is to the opponent?
Dave's Answer:
The benefit of being able to hit off-speed shots to open areas of the floor
is very valuable to any team, as it
leads to less hitting errors on attack attempts that are mis-timed,
or when the set is not where it should be.
I have never understood the coach that says, "I just want them to swing
hard". (First of all, you want them
to focus on "swinging fast", not "hard"). But sure, if the set
is there, and so is the timing, you definitely want
them to swing away-unless there is an open spot to tip the ball to for an
obvious kill. However, if the set is off
the mark, or the timing between the hitter and the setter is off, I have
always felt it is better to hit an off-speed
shot to a hole in the coverage, or towards the opponents weakest defender,
or to their setter. Note I said,
"toward" the weak defender or setter, not "to" them.
Making a weak defender or setter move to play a ball
greatly decreases their chance of making a good pass to target-which
greatly increases your chances of getting an easy ball back-which in turn
increases your chances
of getting a good swing on the next possession.
I've also always liked the idea of taking the opponents
setter out of the play and forcing their right side to set
the second ball. Unless you are playing someone with an excellent
right side, they are usually always going to
set the ball high to the same hitter.
Think about it: What do you tell your right
sides to do when they have to take the second ball? Exactly-put it up
high to your middle or outside-and usually they will go to the middle- because
it's an easier set. (Unless you are playing an opponent who limits their middles
to only hitting ones.)
My philosophy has always been that, it is smarter
to make the defense work to defend an off-speed shot in these situations,
than it is to swing fast and come up with a hitting error.
Notice also that I haven't been using the word "aggressive"
to describe "swinging fast".
Why? It's simple:
Off-speed shots should also be executed aggressively. The hitter
should always go for one of the spots I
mentioned above and make sure they follow through and snap their wrist.
(Many hitting errors on these types
of shots are a result of the hitting being "too careful",
and thus not following through and snapping their wrist to
get the necessary top spin on the ball to bring it down in the opponent's
court.)
My rule on when to hit an off-speed attack
is also very simple:
If they can take a step toward the net and gather themselves and jump, then hit the off-speed. If the timing is so messed
up that they have to backup or move sideways to hit a downball or shoot it
over, then just send it short middle or deep corner. (If you opponent is playing
a 6-up (Red) defense, then they will take the setter out of the
play by going short middle-or you could tell them to go short sideline in
this situation.)
Adding this concept to your offensive scheme puts
a lot more pressure on your opponents defense, while cutting down on your
own hitting errors. It will also lead to more kills and easily defended return
attacks.
In the long run, you will find your team will win
more long rallies over the course of a match-and we all know
those rallies are also the "momentum swingers".
And that's always good!
Ok, here's how you teach this concept:
First, to hit an off-speed shot, I teach using the same arm swing and wrist
snap, just slowing the arm down. It is
very hard for the defense to pick up the arm speed difference, if the motion
is the same, quickly enough to react
to the ball.
For a tip, I teach the "cobra tip" (picture a cobra snake coiling up and
striking). The key is to keep the hand
high and back with the elbow up as long as possible, and then move the hand
forward through the ball like a
"cobra" striking. This is very effective and almost impossible for the defense
to detect in time.
As for cut shots, if it's done correctly, there is no need to disguise it
further, as the thumb moves up or down
right before contact with the ball.
The best method I have found to teach these concepts
is a combination of two drills called "H.E.B." for "Hand-Eye-Ball", and "Hitter
Against the World".
Combining these two drills give the girls the chance to work on the off-speed
shots in a game-like situation immediately after working on them in a controlled
atmosphere.
Do this drill first:
-H.E.B (Pronounced "Heeb")
"Hand-Eye-Ball"
Purpose:
To teach players to use a variety of off-speed shots to find holes in the
opponents defense.
Personnel:
Your entire team (or at least all your hitters)
Equipment:
At least one ball per player and 12 court markers (i.e. cones)
Setup:
Place the cones in the following positions about two feet in from each sideline
and right down the middle
of the court:
1. 3 feet from net
2. 12 feet from net
3. 20 feet from net
4. 28 feet from net
Line your players up (each with a ball) in hitting line formation, with
each in the position they usually hit from.
(If including back row players, have them hit from left back.)
Description:
Players begin by hitting downballs to each marker from 5-6 feet off net.
All balls should be cut to the position
aimed for. When a player has hit within a foot of a target five times, they
move on to the next target in the same
row (progressing deeper into the court), when a row has been completed they
move on the the closest target
to the net in the next row. When all targets have been completed with downballs,
the player starts again at the
first target, while giving themselves a self-toss they can approach and jump
at 3-5 feet off the net. Focus must be
on landing with the shoulders square to the net while cutting the ball to
the target aimed at.
Rationale:
This a great drill for teaching off-speed shots to take advantage of open
areas in the opponent's
defense. It is also very effective in teaching players they have many options
available on a set where their timing
is off and they can't go up and swing hard.
Time Needed:
Depending on the number of players involved and the number of balls required
to each target, between 15-30 mins. (A 12 player team required to go to each
target five times will take about 30 mins.)
Coaching Tips:
-The H.E.B. drill calls for alot of reps, and can take up to 30 mins. If
you are like me, that's alot of time to work
on something of this nature in one practice. I cut it down to three "good
ones" to each target, from the five suggested in the drill.
-Depending on the talent and experience level of your players, you may have
to adjust it a little more-just make sure they get enough reps to get the
idea.
Then follow it immediately with this drill:
Drill: Hitter Against the World
Purpose:
To Train Hitters to learn how to put the ball down, and teaching the defense
to be ready for anything.
Personnel:
Your entire team.
Equipment:
A cart of balls.
Description:
Put a full team in their defensive positions on the court. The remaining
players will be on the other side of the court. You designate one or
two hitters (depending on the team size) to hit from ONE spot (left, middle,
or right)
and the goal is to get the ball down ANYWAY they can. The hitter has 7 balls
to score as many points as she
can (7 because that's about how many she can hit repeatedly without losing
her jump) The defense has to get
the ball up...any playable ball stops the hitter. If the defense shanks
the attack, or blocks out of bounds, or if
the ball hits the floor, the hitter gets a point. ANYTHING GOES!
The hitter can dump, tip or whatever to get
the point.
Rationale:
This drill helps the hitters find ways to get the ball down, and even work
on being deceptive (angle hits, cuts,
and slices). Since the defense KNOWS where the hit is coming from,
it helps them focus on the attack from
that part of the court, and helps them develop their reading capability for
that as well.
Coaching Tips:
-You can toss the ball to a setter who sets the hitter, or toss to a passer
to pass to the setter, or if you are short players, you can toss directly
to the hitter.
-Go all the way through with EACH player (Setters too) and keep score.
The player with the most points wins
the game.
-When you are running the "Hitter Against the World" drill, challenge your
defense also. "Hey, you know
who's getting the ball every time, and where they will get it, you better
make it real tough on them to get it to
the floor."
-You can also challenge your hitters to look at the defense and figure out
where the holes are quickly. If a
hitter tried a certain shot a couple of times unsuccessfully, I would say
to them, "Ok, that's not there, what's open?", and then give them
another ball within a few seconds. Learning to think
quickly and adjust appropriately
is a very important skill for hitters to develop.
Summary:
Use this drill combination once every week or two, and the keep reminding
them of what they can do whenever
you see a "missed opportunity" during play. Also, make sure to make
a "big deal" of it any time a player does
a off-speed shot to a hole in the defense, even if the defense somehow gets
it up.
Your players will picked up quickly on using off-speed shots in matches.
For example, my second middle put the
ball down on game point in a crucial match one time, after we had
done this drill combination a few times in
practice, with a great off-speed cut to 15 feet off the net in the middle
of the court on a ball she was a little early
on, that was also set about a foot too far to her left.
-Dave Cross
National Director
Yes I Can Volleyball
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