Volleyball is a highly athletic, energetic sport which sees two teams playing against each other in a stunning display of awareness, tactical intelligence and a combination of offensive and defensive play. The game gave birth to a wide arena of online gambling throughout the world as well.
Being easy to learn and hard to master has made the sport popular with young and old across the world. The game itself originated in 1895 when William G. Morgan, a professor of physical education and instructor at the YMCA needed a way to keep his gym class active on a particularly rainy day. With most conventional sports proving too rough for an indoor space, the idea for volleyball came about.
Whilst the sport has evolved over the years, the primary rules have remained the same. The objective is to score by putting the ball into the opponent’s court making sure that they can’t shoot it back.
Like most sports, there are two main modes of play, offense and defense. Today we will be concentrating on the latter.
Ways to Improve Your Defense in Volleyball
It goes without saying that in order to be at the top of your game, you need to be fit to be able to play well. The first step to improving at any sport begins with player fitness.
In order to be able to generate the speed and explosive power the sport requires, one must be in good shape to reduce the risk of injury, whether in practice or in an actual game. You’ll notice that some of the best volleyball players are in peak physical condition.
Other than the physical, one must also concentrate on mental conditioning. On first glance, volleyball looks like a sport where attacking is the only form of play, however it is a combination of both attack and defense that allows a team to rise above its opponents.
So when you choose to be a defensive player, commit to the decision as the role of defender is one of the toughest, whatever sport you play. Embrace and love the challenge and change your mindset. This is the key to being able to play good defense.
When playing as a defender, you’re making sure that the opponent can’t startle you with quick and powerful shots. Your job is to tackle the shots that the players at front can’t.
While playing at back as defense, it is important to force the opponent team to make tough decisions. Your objective as a defender is to force your opponent into a tough spot so they fall back, lose possession or go for a tough shot that will go out of the court.
It is imperative that you send back any shots that come to you. To improve oneself, it is important to challenge oneself. Whenever you’re playing, formal or informal, practice or actual, try to find the opposition’s best player and defend against them.
It is imperative that you do this as it will not only teach you certain things about your style of defense but will help you to improve as a defender. Constant challenge will foster your own skills while teaching you new ones.
Being in a defensive stance during a defense play is imperative as it makes the difference between winning and losing. Some players may leave the stance when they’re off-ball but if you remain defensive throughout the possession, you’ll be able to react quicker to sudden shots.
Finally, one of the most important things is preparation. Volleyball is just as much physical game as it is mental. Preparing yourself to face the challenge on the court before a game helps you in being able to play at your best. Learning about your opponents allows you to stay ahead of them in defense. Mental and physical preparation is key to your success on the court.
Conclusion
In order to be a good volleyball player who has a good defense, you must constantly challenge yourself and commit to your objective of defense as it could be the deciding factor between a win and a loss. Following the tips discussed above will help you to improve your defense in volleyball.
