Digging: Don't be a square.

When you get into position to dig a cross-court spike, avoid squaring up to the hitter.

Making your hips and shoulders perpendicular or "square" to the hitter when the volleyball reaches your passing platform (extended arms with hands together), increases the chance that your pass will reflect directly back where it came from.

Here are the first five reasons that come to mind as to why this is not desirable:

Reason #1: It gives the opposing hitter a second chance to score before your team gets a chance to attack.

Reason #2: It aggravates your blockers. They did their job -- properly enough that you had the opportunity make a good pass -- and you just negated their efforts by, basically, setting their hitter.

Reason #3: The hitter always has the advantage over the blockers for this second attack because he is facing your court and probably sees the ball coming right back to him from your dig. Meanwhile, your blockers have had to land and turn to even see the ball and then regroup and attempt to block.

Reason #4: You really don't want to give your opponents' hitters anything to smirk about.

Reason #5: You really don't want to give your setter anything to frown about.

Your teammates may offer you additional reasons.

Solution: Face their hitter but favor your setter.

A setter will not usually choose to set from the spot the hit just came from because of the potential for a traffic tie-up with your blocker(s).

As you get into position for dig, note where you want your pass to go. Place one foot slightly ahead of the other, enough to close your body slightly away from the angle of the incoming hit and slightly toward your setter.

This technique does the trick for most passers. If this tip works for you, please leave a comment here.

If it does not work for you or if you do not try it but continue to set your opponents' hitters, there's every change your teammates will offer you some additional, explicit instructions. Good luck with that.

P.S. Reason #6: It's poor sportsmanship to show up your opponents' setter by giving her hitters better sets than they get from her.

Post Post Script -- Thanks to Theresa P. for bringing this tip to my attention during a game, only a week or so after the game in which I first brought it to her attention.

Passing: Bend your knees, please!

"Keep your butt below the ball!" advised my good buddy Lenny a long time ago.

This is sooooooo fundamental -- and so absolutely practical -- that it might as well be the first tip I offer in this blog. (There are other such tips but this one simply came to mind first.)

If your hips aren’t lower than the ball when you contact it, you aren’t letting your toes, ankles, knees and hips fully help you. And that means you'll have to rely on your back, shoulders, and elbows (less than half of the available joints).

On the other hand, if you want to get just the right height, angle and power in your passing platform (extended arms) to make a good pass, please bend your knees! This will almost always bring all of your good-passing-form joints into play.

Note: What's that you say? Yeah, I know. You're not in your teens anymore and your knees hurt. So do mine. That's too bad but if you don't pass the ball well enough, you'll lose a point. And you'll lose a lot more points (which might really depress your teammates as well as you) when your opponents realize that you are going to attempt to make every pass without bending your knees. You will be their pigeon. That will not be fun for you. And, for that matter, it won't exactly earn you the admiration of your teammates.

Even if — especially if — you cannot get your body fully behind the ball, getting your hips (and, therefore, your butt) lower than the ball at the moment of contact will give you a whooooooooole lot more control.

Keeping your butt lower than the ball when you pass will make you a better passer. This often has the amazing effect of enabling your setter to make better sets. That, in turn, will help your hitters -- well, you get the idea.

So, go and strengthen those quads ("quadraceps", look it up). Take care of your knees and they'll be there to help take care of you and your teammates!

Let's get this rally started.

"Service!"

Welcome to the Play Better Volleyball blog. Here's where you'll find great volleyball ideas -- some practical, some more philosophical. Some that are very fundamental and some that are more advanced. Some you might just laugh at and some that might apply to you and your team.

Subscribing -- and regular reading -- of this blog might -- just might -- help you:

• play better,
• have more fun,
• win more rallies (That's fun!),
• get along better with your teammates and your referees (very important),
• become the envy of your opponents (well ... maybe),
• and generally find greater enjoyment and satisfaction in playing, watching, coaching -- and discussing the game with your volleyball buddies.

So, bookmark this blog, e-mail it to a friend, and put some of the ideas here into play.

Make some comments, too, whenever you get the urge. I'd love getting your feedback on ...

• Anything you read here
• Any volleyball-related news or ideas you pick up elsewhere
• What you want to see discussed in the future

Until next time, keep your serves in.