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 145 cm you can dominate in the front row but if you’re a 180 cm 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.
Be a Smart Hitter
Young players especially at the high school level love to marvel at the guy who can rip the ball at 120 km/h 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 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 they’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 stubborn 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 lucky, you should win against a single blocker 9 times out of 10.
… to be continued …
Source: www.vballworld.com
