Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Purpose: To give the setter a lot of repetitions with the pass coming from all different angles on the court. It can be modified to train beginners, right sides, and advanced setters.
Setup: Target, Tosser, Setter, 2 balls.
1. The tosser starts out at the left front position and after each toss, takes a step back and to the right.
2. This pattern should form the shape of a rainbow to the right sideline (10 tosses). The tosser should move all the way to the right sideline and back to the left sideline.
3. The target should bounce pass the ball to the tosser quickly to allow for more repetitions in a shorter amount of time.
Modifications:
1. The setter may play as a back row setter and release from the right back position (her defensive position).
2. You may add another target who will stand in the right front position to catch the setter’s back sets.
3. You can move the tosser to the other side of the net and have her toss the ball to a passer who passes and then moves to next position in the rainbow pattern.
4. You may add a middle blocker, on the other side from the setter, who chooses to commit block in the middle or release outside. The setter should see the blocker and set the opposite way.
Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Purpose: A “slide set” is a set behind the setter in which the attacker takes a one foot take-off in her approach. The benefits are many, such as, deception for the opposing blocker, and it allows the attacker many options once in the air. The foot work is similar to a basketball lay up. For a right handed person, there are ideally 3 steps (left, right, take-off with left). However, the set may require more than three steps. The majority of the approach should be taken parallel to the net. The last step (left) should plant parallel to the net, the player should draw up the right knee and the shoulders should rotate counter clock-wise to attack the ball.
Slide Progression 1
Set-up: 1 coach to toss, basket of balls.
1. The coach should initiate the ball from middle front, facing toward the right front position. The attacker should line up next to the coach with her shoulders facing LF.
2. The coach tosses the ball to simulate the slide set. The attacker runs and chases the ball to attack. The player should keep the ball in front of her and jump off of one foot.
Note: The coach should put attackers in two groups. One is a hitting group and the other is a shagging group. This makes the drill run more efficiently.
Slide Progression 2
The coach should begin at the same place. The attacker should start in the middle of the net at the 10 ft. line. She should take her first step toward the coach and once the coach tosses the ball, she should perform the drill as in Part 1.
Slide Progression 3
Add a setter. The coach should toss from the same side of the net to the setter. The attacker should let the ball pass her and then start to make her approach.
Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Purpose: Like all defensive emergency skills, the purpose of the one hand punch is for a last resort play. A player would use this skill if the ball to be played is too far behind her and too high for her to use conventional technique.
Set-up: 2 players 1 ball.
1. Player A will start at the net facing the end line.
Player B (the one performing the skill) will begin at the 10 ft. line in defensive ready position (low posture with feet shoulder width apart).
2. Player A should toss the ball over player B’s head so that the ball would land around the end line. Player B should back pedal or turn and run in order to play the ball. She should form a flat platform with her fist (moving thumb on side of fist instead of lying across the fingers) and contact the ball on the platform with an upward punching movement.
3. Partner A should toss 10 balls alternating sides and then the partners should switch.
Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Purpose: To train middles to keep their eyes on the ball and to correctly position themselves to receive the ball.
Set-up: one middle, one setter, one tosser, one shagger, basket of balls.
1. This very simple drill has the middle starting at the 10 ft line in the middle of the court. The middle will start in an aggressive ready position with eyes on the ball which is in the tossers’ hands.
2. The tosser should stand in various places on the court (to simulate digging the ball from different areas). When the tosser tosses the ball to the setter the middle should keep eyes on the ball, let it just pass and then explode into an approach to get to the setter and be in the air when the ball is in the setter’s hands.
3. If a delayed quick in the middle is used, have the middle let the ball pass and wait a split second. The setter should set the ball just before the middle jumps.
4. Emphasize to the middle to keep eyes fixed on the ball while approaching. The middle should make 10-15 approaches/swings and then switch with another middle. Make sure that the middles’ approaches are extremely explosive.
Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Purpose: Teach hitters to hit high and hard on consecutive attempts, while also having to focus on ball control.
Set-up: Coach Setter, Left Front, Left Back, waiting player, 1 ball.
1. The coach (C) stands on a platform on the other side of the net and attacks cross-court at left back and left front.
2. Left front (LF) or left back (LB) must dig a ball, to the setter and transition off the net to hit a ball.
3. The left front moves to the left back when the turn has been completed. The left back steps off the court; a new player steps in at left front.
4. In order to get out of the drill, the hitter must dig and hit a ball clean once (no net tape), then twice in a row, then three times in a row, then three times in a row again, then two times in a row, then once.
5. If the hitter fails during a series (e.g. the second ball of the attempt at three times in a row), the series must still be completed (finish out the third ball).
6. A player does not advance to the next series (e.g. from two in a row to three in a row) until the series is successfully completed. If the series is not successful, the player simply moves to the next position (left back) and tries again on the next attempt at left front.
7. This drill can also be done with right front or middle hitters, but they will not pass any balls.
8. Another variation is to go 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1, or add a single blocker.
Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Most players train serving technique, but they don’t train serving tactics or serving under pressure. Therefore, when the player is put in a pressure situation such as serving for match point, the player chokes. As the coach, you can train your players to serve successfully under pressure.
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Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Purpose: To give players a lot of repetitions in serving while competing and having a goal in mind.
Key Words:
- Ready Position
- Low toss (in front of striking arm)
- High Elbow
- Contact and freeze to target
1. Give the team a time limit (about 12 minutes). The player receives 2 points for serving in the correct area, 1 point for serving in the court (if it is not in the correct area), minus 1 point if the ball is served out (long or wide), and minus 2 points if the ball is served in the net or does not go over the net.
2. The person behind the server in line tells the player what position to serve. You may also use coaches may also give the positions to serve. The player serves and runs to shag the ball. Each player keeps track of one’s own score and at the end of the time limit, the player with the most points wins.
3. You may put incentives on certain points (those under 10 points do 20 push-ups, etc.). Point scoring gives them a sense of competition and it puts some pressure on them to get their serves in the court.
Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Purpose: To have players play a specific, competitive, controlled drill.
Set-up: Mark off playing areas with tape or cones going right down the middle of the court; 3 players on each side of the net, 1 ball.
1. After the playing area has been marked off, make up teams and have them play three on three on half of the court.
2. Play will begin with a true serve. All rules apply except for the size of the playing area.
3. Have the teams play games to 7 points rally scoring and then switch up teams. Use this drill to start off practice in a fun, competitive and controlled way.
Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Drill 1
Purpose: To train your blockers to read the hitter’s body and hitting arm. The blockers’ goal is to line up chest to chest with their attackers to take away the strongest attacking angle.
Setup: Two blockers, a tosser, an attacker, a ball. You may run two groups on one net.
The tosser will start at the 10 ft. line with the blockers on the same side. The attacker is on the opposite side from the tosser and blockers.
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Posted on Dec 09, 2007 under Individual Skills |
Purpose: To have middles trained for a quick transition and make themselves available as much as possible.
Set-up: Three blockers, tosser (on each side), hitters, shaggers, basket of balls.
1. Have a tosser, setter and two lines of hitters on one side of the net. On the other side, have three blockers (the right side blocker should be the setter) and a tosser.
2. The tosser on the hitting side initiates the drill. The tosser tosses to the setter who sets to the outside hitter. The middle blocker on the other side closes the block to the right side blocker.
3. Once the ball is attacked the middle immediately transitions off the net (the middle should find the ball while transitioning) and approaches for a 1 set (quick set in the middle)
4. The tosser on the blocking side should toss balls various heights, speeds, and places along the net.
5. The job of the middle is to be available for the set no matter where the pass takes the setter.
6. Once the middle attacks that ball, the tosser on the hitting side tosses to the setter who sets back to the right side hitter.
7. The drill is repeated as before.
8. Once a middle goes through that circuit, the middle should rotate out and the next middle steps in. This should be treated as both a technical drill and a conditioning drill.
