So as we all know, height has a huge impact on your performance. But rest assured, there are ways you can make up for those missing inches and still be an integral part of whatever team you play for. No, this does not mean that if you’re 4″5′ you can dominate in the front row but if you’re a 5″9 player with solid basics, you can work on different aspects of your game to compete with blockers much taller than yourself. In this article, we’ll go over hitting. So let’s take a look at what methods are available to improve your game at the net as an average-height player.

Young players especially at the high school level love to marvel at the guy who can rip the ball at 100mph during warm-ups. But once the game starts, the guy turns out to be a fluke who also gets stuffed the hardest. Sure it’s cool to have that ability to crush the ball on an open net but unless you have an amazing setter who can get you no-block every time there will be at least one blocker in your face 9 times out of 10. So how can you use the block if you’re the average Joe?

You need to be a smart hitter and not try to facial every set you get. Too many players at the high school or club level, and even myself try to unload on every hit. But to be a mature and valued player, you need to hit smart. There are various ways to use the block and score even on a bad set. Let’s dive into it.

1) Look at the Block

It’s inherently hard for small players to look at where the block is placed, mainly because we’re not up there to see it for as long as bigger players are. However, looking at the block prior to hitting the volleyball is crucial and players can improve their hitting percentage dramatically just by taking this simple step.

While going up after the approach, quickly take a look at the block to see 1)how many blockers you have up and 2)where the block is placed. This shouldn’t necessarily require that you turn you head to see the block. God gave you peripheral vision for a reason and that is so that you can avoid being a stupid volleyball player.

 

2)One-Up

Now that you can see the block, check how many blockers you have on you. If you have a single blocker up, feel free to unload on the ball away from the block. Most players love to hit (or only know how to hit) the “angle” shot across the diagonal of the court. But if the blockers know that you are capable of hitting the line shot, they will line up directly across your body to block the line.

In the picture, Russia’s Grankin does a good job of taking away as much of the diagonal and the line as he can. But not every blocker will have the ability to stretch out like Grankin and you will thus have a clear line or angle shot. But even against a good block like the one shown here, you still have enough room to swing hard at the ball without touching the block. So if you see a single blocker up to block the line, swing as hard as you can across the angle to get the kill. Unless the blocker is a superb reader or just a lucky bastard, you should win against a single blocker 9 times out of 10.

3) Two-Up

But having a single blocker up is a rarity – a luxury for most players. More often than not, hitters have 4 hands trying to block the ball and it’s not always easy to get over it. But as a smart hitter, you can find loopholes to take advantage of every little mistake made by the blocker.

4) The Tool

But what if you do have a perfectly formed double or even a triple block, or a single blocker who can read you like the Oracle? Yes, you can do the Tool-Time.

If you don’t see a seam in the block or find that the blocker is lined up exactly where you planned to hit the ball, you can use the blocker’s hands to tool the ball out of bounds to get a kill. In a single block situation, you want to hit the ball at the blocker’s outside hands. This means that on the outside set, you would aim at the blocker’s right hand and left hand if you’re hitting on the opposite side.

The key is to hit the ball before the blocker’s hands are correctly set to roof your ball straight to the floor. Pros love this hit because when done right, it’s almost unstoppable as the ball often goes out on your side and defense can’t get to the ball before it hits the floor. And don’t forget to shout “tool-time” and taunt the crap out of the blocker. Volleyball is a mind game.

5) The Tight Set

Now, you can be a great hitter with these tools but your setter might kill your chances by giving you a tight set near the net. A lot of young hitters DGAF when stuck in a tight set and blame the setter. This should be the last thing you do unless your setter does this for every perfect pass. So don’t be a sore loser and understand that nobody’s perfect. It’s especially hard to set a money-set on a bad pass. Instead, you can use the tight set to get an easy kill off the block or at least save the ball from getting roofed.

In a tight set, you can try to tool the ball against the blocker’s hands. Once the block is formed, aim for the outside hands to tool the ball out of bounds. Young blockers often get too excited against a tight set and fail to form the block correctly and you can take full advantage of this by tooling the ball to get a kill and embarrass the other team’s blocker.

There is also a tight-set specific tool you can use against any block. When mastered, this technique is very, very effective and can get you a kill a majority of the time. While in the air, press the ball against the hands of the blocker until both you and the blocker are touching the ball. Then swipe the ball against the blocker’s hands towards the antenna. When done right, this is one of the easiest and the most satisfying kill that makes a fool out of any blocker.

Smart Hitting

Looking at the block is one of the things that can set an attacker apart from the inexperienced amateurs who try to crush every ball to the ground only to get stuffed by unexpected blocks. Start taking a peek at the block and practice using the block to get a kill and you’re on your way to become a valuable hitter that will get more lovin’ from your setters.

Passing the Serve

Which skill excites you the most in a game of volleyball? For most people, it’s the hard swings. But the success of the attack is dependent on a good pass. Passing is a skill I focus the most on during practices because a team’s success is limited without good passes at least 80% of the time, regardless of how good your attackers are. Ball control wins matches, and this article will go over improving your passing consistency.

Preparing for the Pass

First, you need to be in what I call the athletic position before the serve. Spread your feet a bit wider than the shoulders while maintaining balance. Be on the balls of your feet to help you move faster to the ball. Serves are getting faster year by year and a fraction of a second is crucial when you’re getting ready to pass.

Once the ball is served, adjust your feet and be ready to pass the serve coming towards you. Most likely the serve won’t come right at you so be ready to move your feet. Most athletes – especially less experienced players – will move towards the ball after it crosses the net. But by that time, it’s too late to make any adjustments so be ready to move to the ball.

Seeing the Server

Key thing to remember is to really see the server. Some players are delayed when preparing to pass and I usually find that the problem comes from players not being able to see the server. Thus, the best way to prepare for the serve is to analyze the serve quickly and to start moving as soon as the ball leaves the server’s hands.

The Platform

After positioning yourself with your feet, you need to have a “flat” platform with elbows locked when you contact the ball, and have it out early. Many players have their platforms so close to their bodies that they have no other way to deflect the ball but to swing their arms. You need to avoid swinging your arms if you want to have more ball control. Any necessary movements for passing should come from your lower body instead of from your platform.

Contacting the Ball

Now that you’re in the athletic position with your platform “out”, contact the ball and direct it to the setter. The way I like to teach my players is to have them use their shoulders to finalize the movement and guide the ball.

For example, if you are passing from the left (position 5), drop your right shoulder to guide the ball towards your setter. If you’re passing from the middle (position 6), drop your right shoulder but less than you would on the left side. And if you’re passing from the right (position 1), the setter is pretty much directly in front of you, so slightly bring your left shoulder down.

Using your shoulders, you can guide the pass straight to the setter’s hands and you should be very happy you delivered a good pass to your setter. If you’re a libero, your job is complete. And If you are an outside hitter, get up there and score off your pass!

To recap, here are key points to remember when passing:

Creating Your General Interest Letter

In contacting coaches, you need to introduce yourself using an academic and athletic resume.  The resume is a letter with your background and your basic info (year in school, physique etc.) as well as anything about you that stands out as a player.  Do you have a strong vertical or a high reach?  Then include that in the resume. You want to grab coaches’ attention so they will want to keep in touch to learn more about you.

In the text, include academic or athletic achievements in your career so far such as MVP, 1st Team All-League, or other academic honors. Include the name, email address, and phone number of your club coach because coaches who are interested in learning more about you will often contact your club coach for more information.

A key attachment to your resume is a skills video to give coaches an idea of your athletic fit within their programs.  A skills video is a video of you in a private lesson setting where you perform basic skills such as passing, setting, hitting, serving, and blocking regardless of your position on the court. Just because you are a middle blocker doesn’t mean you never have to pass or set a ball so you need to demonstrate your skills in every aspect of the game no matter how strong they are. Try to get some private practice before filming your skills video to improve your technique and to boost your confidence level.

It’s also important to send a game video to the coach. Take several clips from a match with missed serves (by all players) and long breaks in between rallies removed.  Note that this is not a highlight reel because anyone can look like an all-star in a highlight video.  But coaches only spend 3-5 minutes per video so make it short and sweet.In the game video, it’s crucial to include your mistakes for coaches to see how you respond to them.  Do you put your head down and bring down the whole team after missing a serve or can you shake it off and move on to the next play?  You want to demonstrate that you are a team player so get in the habit of moving on with your mistakes during a game and give your teammates a pat on the back next time your teammates miss a serve!

Photo by HowStuffWorks, NothingbutCoverLetters

Coach Torres’ “Che Plan” involved training tall players for volleyball. At the time, people thought tall players just didn’t have the skills shorter guys had. But his Che Plan proved that this was not the case and his philosophy is now clearly implemented in every level of volleyball.This guide on off-season training for jumping and explosiveness was written with Coach Torres. So here are some training routines to help you get in shape for the season.

 

Developing Basic Strength

Before you begin to build muscle, it’s essential to have good cardio even though volleyball is not cardio-intensive. Regardless of your role on the court, you should be able to perform a good amount of basic strength exercises such as pushups, jumping jacks, and sit-ups. Pull-ups is the most important strength exercise and if you can perform a good amount of them consistently, you really don’t need anymore upper body weight training.

 

Specialized Workouts

I like to give personalized workout routines for all my my players depending on their body type and their role on the court (hitter, setter, blocker). For example, all players should train their shoulders and triceps in addition to doing the basic strength exercises mentioned earlier. But if you’re a defensive specialist, you don’t need to be doing any curls because bigger biceps harm your receiving technique and reach.

 

But remember, volleyball players are not body builders and too much upper body weight is harmful to your jumping ability and explosiveness. Overall, lower body training is far more important for any volleyball player and you should spend twice as much on working out your lower body than your upper body.The king of lower body workouts is the squats. If you had to choose one lower body workout to do, this is it and it’s one you cannot forget to ignore so if you don’t do them, start doing them now! And if you don’t know how to them, learn it.

 

Building Explosiveness

Once you have a solid body structures and can perform a good amount of basic exercises, you need to be explosive. For example, if you’re a hitter, you need to focus on getting up high and speeding up your arm swing. To do this, continue with your lifting routine but do it less frequently, minus certain exercises for muscle groups that are developed well enough. Do track exercises such as sprinting and running over slopes. Complement this with variations of jump ropes (jumping in zig-zags, over them, etc.) and jumping over hurdles to start building up your explosiveness.

After a few weeks into this phase, try putting on a weight jacket while performing the exercises. This gives the muscles more resistance and will add much more pump to your jump.

Treating Injuries

One thing to keep in mind during the training process is to stop any form of training immediately if you feel any type of injury. Icing is key and it’s good to follow it up with some heat if the injury is a bit more severe. So when training hard for jumping and explosiveness, always ice your knees after practice.

 

Lay Off the Weights

Key thing that most players don’t know is that weight lifting makes muscles tight. This tightening of the muscles slightly holds players down on their jumping as well as movements on the court. So it’s good to do some extra stretching during this time.

More important, If season is soon approaching, stop lifting 1 to 2 weeks before the start of the season. That way, you are more flexible and thus can jump higher, and hit the ball harder.

Training during the off-season requires constant self-motivation and perseverance. But the benefits you reap from training during the off-season are huge. Many players get to the season physically and mentally unready and try to get in shape then to increase their strength and vertical but by that time, it’s too late. So stay focused and train hard during the off-season to maximize your explosiveness and play your best when it matters.

Taking Advantage of the Smaller Blocker

In a double or a triple block, there is always a weak spot. Generally, avoid the middle blocker if the block is well-formed. The middle blocker is tall for a reason – his main role is to block as many balls as possible and thus coaches will put the best blockers on the team as its middle blocker (duh). In a well-timed block, the middle blocker will most likely be the higher wall you have in front of you.

Intuitively, avoid hitting against the middle blocker and focus on tooling or hitting over the smaller blocker. This is especially true when your blocker is the other team’s setter. The setter is often times the smallest and the weakest blocker on the other side of the net (not always though: see Lloy Ball).As a hitter, always take advantage of this mismatch when it is presented to you. Knowing your blockers and knowing where the smaller blockers are allows hitters to have a go-to when stuck in a perfectly set block.

Extreme Angle Shots

When against a good double or a triple block you will have no room on the line and will need to go angle – but an extreme one near the 3-meter line (or the 10 ft line). Not many players have mastered this shot and it may surprise some teams depending on the level when a hitter utilizes this shot.

To hit the shot, (if you’re a right-handed wing-spiker hitting from the left) go up and rotate your shoulder outwards so that your hitting palm is facing away from your body (towards the right) and your thumb pointing towards the ground (doesn’t need to be perpendicular). The idea is to hit the ball at an angle rather than snapping on the top of the ball. Your goals is to get the ball past the outermost blocker (blocker on the very right if you’re hitting from the left) and place it around the 3-meter line. Again, teams especially in lower levels do not expect this shot from attackers and thus can get you very easy kills when you have it up your sleeve. The more you use it in games, the more you will appreciate this tricky yet valuable addition to your arsenal.

The Tip

Sometimes you have no choice but to tip – either because you have a set you can’t take an approach for or you were late to the bal and just weren’t ready for a full swing. As with all shots, the tip can be a strategic hit to score a kill.

In addition to the tool mentioned in last week’s article, you can also tip the ball into an open spot on the court just over the block. Intuitively you want to tip the ball as far away from the defender closest to the block. If the line is blocked, there will often be a defender playing right behind the block who will dig up your tip easily. Then try to place the tip away from that defender, closer to the middle of the court and not far away from the block.

If the line is open, the defender will line up further away from the block and couple steps behind the 3-meter line. You can tip past the block in front of the defender to make it difficult for the defense.If you’re hitting a pipe and a triple block is up, the best places to tip are the sides of the court close to the net. Unless they can read you instantaneously, defenders will have a hard time digging it up because they will expect a hard-swing off the pipe.

One thing to avoid while tipping is tipping high just to get the ball across the net. Many young players like to tip high but keep in mind that your goal is to put the ball to the floor as soon as possible so that defenders don’t have a chance of keeping the ball alive. Tip the ball so it doesn’t get eaten up by the block, but find a medium between getting the ball over the block and tipping low enough to make it difficult for the defense. While you can’t grab the ball and dunk it, you can tip it with your fingers towards the ground away from the defense.No hitter plans to tip any set but it happens in every level. Practice being a flexible hitter in a tip situation and placing the ball in an open spot away from the defenders.

Roll Shot

The roll shot is a great way to take advantage of defensive errors. Sometimes defenders get confused trying to read the block and can’t get to where they need to be on the court. You can take advantage of this by hitting over the block with a high roll shot and placing the ball on an empty spot. This can be right behind the block, into the middle of the court, extreme angle near the 3-meter line, or the far corners. Especially against a fast-set ball, the defense will have trouble getting to where it needs to be to play defense. Practice reading the defense while up in the air and placing the ball with a roll shot to an open space on the court for a quick and easy kill.

Really Knowing Your Blockers

Lastly, remember that blockers, like all humans, have certain tendencies. Most blockers have a tendency to block certain shots. They might think you don’t know how to hit line and only block angle or vice versa. Know your blocker’s tendencies as the game progresses. It helps to communicate with your teammates on the floor about where the block is being placed. The other team’s coach might be telling blockers to line up at a certain position against you and as a smart hitter, you need to be aware of their strategies and adapt to it. Listen to your teammates as they call out open lanes and be flexible enough to change your shot while up in the air. This undoubtedly will take many focused practices of adjusting your shot in the air depending on the block but mastering these techniques will truly make you a unique and a valuable player in any team you play for and get you to a new level in your volleyball career.