Blocking: Show Up & Show Hands

I subbed on a team of six last night and our opponents had only four players -- but very good players. They won all three games.

Hey! It wasn't a blow-out. We lost the first game by only one point in overtime. And the next two were close. Mostly.

My two male teammates did some fine blocking but our opponents' men are both great hitters.

Definitely, their hitters are better hitters than I am a blocker. I didn't complete any blocks myself except a few soft blocks (in which I took some of the speed off the ball but it continued coming into our side of the court).

On the other hand, I was rewarded five or six times just for getting into a good blocking position, timing my jump well, and sticking my hands over the net toward the ball.

What happened? The same thing that usually happens, sometimes even against great hitters.

Each of the hitters, while he was approaching the ball and about to hit, noticed I was making a block attempt. So he adjusted his aim to hit around my hands. This resulted in two or three of their hits against me never clearing the net and three or four others sailing entirely out of bounds.

Did I touch the ball? Nope.

Did I hear that very satisfying THUMP-THUMP as the ball first struck my hands and then their floor? Nope.

But, did I help get a point each time? Yessssss!

And my teammates got some no-touch blocks, too.

Here's a formula for you: Points for my team + frustration for our opponents = I'm happy.

It would be hard to prove it but I'd say 80% -- maybe 90% -- of blocking success is in just showing up.

1. Your block cuts off access to a big section of your own side of the court. (Think of that area as being in a shadow created by your hands and the ball is the source of light.) This means your teammates have less court area to cover to dig their attack hit.

2. Your presence and movement distract the hitter, at least a little, as he approaches and swings.

3. Your hands will often or usually, depending on how good you are at predicting the hitter's intended angle, cause the hitter to shift his aim from where he wanted to hit when he started his approach and swing.

So don't give any good hitter a free shot. Show up and let that hitter know your hands are going to be there.

P.S. Thanks, Lori, for asking me to sub again!

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.