Dear Volleyball Mom,
Do You Know What Sets My Private Volleyball Training Apart From Anyone In Vegas?
I invite You to read what my private volleyball training mission says before considering hiring me as a private volleyball coach because I'm not available for everyone.Four Blocking in Volleyball Tips To Improve Your Defensive Skills Fast
An important blocking in volleyball tip is to watch the hitter you are going to block in order to pick up important clues that'll help you block the hitter.
When blocking in a game do you watch the ball or do you watch the hitter?
Learn which options to choose and why.
Regardless of the types of blocking in volleyball that you do its always important to watch the hitter or hitters that you are going to block in order to pick up important clues that will help you stop the attack at the net.
Regardless of the types of blocking in volleyball that you do its always important to watch the hitter or hitters that you are going to block. Watch as Hailey and Karime work on swing and traditional blocking footwork.
Volleyball Block Tips:
Learn These Skill Cues For Blocking in Volleyball
"Ball Setter Ball Hitter"
Ball - Setter - Ball - Hitter
Ball - Setter - Ball - Hitter is the pattern of movement your eyes as you are blocking in the front row (also the back row defense but we will get back to that later) should follow when in the front row, after your team's server has served the ball over the net.
These are the places you should be looking at, in other words where your eyes should be looking...to get clues as to who and where the opposing team now on offense intends to do with the ball (give the ball to), for their third contact... an attack hit that will send the ball back into your court.
Your job as a blocker is to stop that ball at the net.
These tips about blocking in volleyball will show you how.
Watch the blocking footwork practice we do in Volleyball Voice Boot Camp classes.
Blocking in Volleyball:
Learn Skill Cues For Blocking
"First Watch The Ball"
The Ball
Once your server serves the ball over the net to start the rally, you first want to track with your eyes the BALL that's being passed.
- Why?
- What are you looking for?
- What are you trying to quickly evaluate about the pass?
- What information do you need to quickly get that will help you make a good volleyball block action?
If its a perfect pass that goes right to the setter then you know the setter doesn't have to move off the net to go chase a bad pass.
Okay so as a blocker that will tell you right away the setter is in a position to use ALL of her possible hitters to run an offense.
If three hitters are in the front row then she has three players she can set to.
If there are two hitters in the front row then she can easily set those two hitters or try to dump or attack the ball herself.
If the pass was a bad pass that forces the setter to move off the net and chase the ball down...now as a blocker you say to yourself "Self, the setter is in trouble and can't make a perfect set to all of her possible front row hitters!
If it was a perfect pass, now you watch the setter's body language and/or hand position.
Because of where and how she is chasing the ball down, WHO is the most likely hitter or hitters can she set or give the ball to..in this situation?"
"By the way, good job, Self!"
Blocking in Volleyball:
Learn Skill Cues For Blocking
"Then Watch The Setter"
The Setter
Once you've quickly made a determination on the pass, now your eyes go to the Setter.
If it was a perfect pass, now you watch the setter's body language and/or hand position.
Some setters will show with their setting body position, that they intend to make a back set because they arch their back alot when then do, but when making a front set or a set to the middle, they don't.
These are the types of skill cues and clues while blocking in volleyball that you are trying to read and interpret in order to improve your defensive skills!
If it was a bad pass you do the same thing.
But because you've identified that the setter is in trouble and can't easily deliver a perfect set to all her possible hitters, you look to pick up clues from her body language.
Is she running off the court or to her back court with her back to her hitters?
If that's the case, she will probably not even be able to set the ball with her hands but will bump it up in the air.
Blocking in Volleyball:
Learn Skill Cues For Blocking
"Now Peep The Ball Again Right Quick"
The Ball
Once we've glanced or watched the setter to get some information about what she is about to do, now we watch the ball she just touched.
As a blocker you need to watch where's the set going? Is it a high ball or a faster set like a "Hut" or a "Go"?
- Where's the set going?
- Is it a high ball or a faster set like a "Hut" or a "Go"?
- Is the ball going to the hitter in front of me or to the middle or to the other hitter in front of my teammate on the other side of my middle blocker?
Blocking in Volleyball:
Learn Skill Cues For Blocking
"All Eyes On The Hitter"
The Hitter
Once you see that
- your hitter, the hitter in front of you is getting the ball and
- you quickly note what type of set they are going to get--by looking at the type of ball the opposing setter has set to your hitter
- you now want your eyes to focus on your hitter
Now hopefully from these volleyball block tips you've found out a sure way to increase the number of blocks you can successfully perform in a match.
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I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.
Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.
If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list.
How To Play Volleyball: Where Do You Go From Here?
We know where you need to go now! Here are three options:
- Learn more about Blocking by clicking one of the links in the Related Links below.
- Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
- Or visit the pages in the How to Play Volleyball section in the drop down menu at the top of the page to get started.
Related Links:
Blocker Footwork and Timing For Making A Good Block
Learn more about volleyball blocking tips in the pages below.
Tips for Serving a Volleyball: Mental Strategies That Create More Aces
Why do some players score aces when others hope to get the ball over the net? My tips for serving a volleyball reveal the mental game behind successful serves.
5 Volleyball Passing Tips: Essential Techniques to Fix Common Mistakes
These are 5 volleyball passing tips beginner players need to see that show how to improve your serve receive skills
A Setter Volleyball Checklist With Tips To Improve How To Set A Ball
Learn how to improve your setting technique with these setter volleyball checklist tips that breakdown what to do with each body part from head to toe.
Learn How To Properly Set With My Can't Miss Setter Volleyball Tips
Non-setter players should regularly work on setting skill and technique with regular wall ball reps with a partner. Learn more with my setter volleyball tips.
Serving in Volleyball Tactics For Scoring Points With Your Float Serve
When serving in volleyball there are two places where you can serve to on the opposing team's court to increase the chance of scoring points with your serve.
4 Serving Tips For Volleyball Players To Add More Power To Their Serve
Here are four serving tips for volleyball players to add power to their serve...face your target, visualize your serve, toss the same way, serve like you spike
Your Serve In Volleyball 10 Tips To Score More Aces in Volleyball
To score more points and aces in volleyball here are 10 tips to help you improve your point scoring serve in volleyball.
Overhand Jump Serve Volleyball Tips To Score Many More Points and Aces
My "Coach April Overhand Jump Serve Volleyball Tips" designed to help you increase your serving accuracy, power and the ability to serve more aces in volleyball.
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Lady Vol volleyball legend and record holder Coach April Chapple a University of Tennessee, Knoxville Hall of Fame Inductee, 3-time All American, 3-time SEC Champion, SEC Tournament MVP, 2-time All SEC Team is celebrated with her 1984 SEC champion teammates at Neyland Stadium during Champions Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.
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April Chapple The first First round Draft Pick For Major League Volleyball the first American Women's Pro League Honored At Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball Match
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Serving slang is not just about individual techniques; it also relates to overall game strategy. A coach might instruct a player to serve a "short serve" or a "deep serve" to target specific areas of the opponent's court or exploit weaknesses in their serve receive formation.
Ari, my private training client and I are working specifically on serving on jump float cross court serves ...short to Zone 2
There's so much we work on to get to this point where she can contact the ball with
- the same toss height and same toss location
- the same armswing speed
- the same timing for when her serving hand contacts the ball
- the middle of the hand contacting the middle of the ball every single time
- getting use to watching her serving hand contact the ball at the highest point of her jump ...before she starts to land
- and finally contacting the ball in the precise spot on the ball so it goes where the coach wants the player to put it so in this case ..a short serve in the farthest short right corner on the court also called Zone 2.
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