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!

Strategy: Let your opponents have the opportunity to fail.

Sometimes, the best strategy is the simplest. Not the prettiest and not the loftiest or most elegant.

Sometimes the best strategy is a strategy that would lose games under most other circumstances.

This is that type of strategy.

And here's when you'll usually need it: You're in a game in which your team is all thumbs. Your team can't pass. Your team can't set even if a pass accidentally gets to the setter. Your team can't hit even if a good set magically appears.

No timing. No chemistry. No communication. No teamwork. No luck.

But, despite all this, you're still in the game: the score is fairly close.

Wait a sec'. Playing this poorly, you should be getting your butts kicked.

Why do you still have a chance of winning this game? 

The answer to this question -- and the solution to your problem -- is right in front of you. Move your glazed-over eyeballs away from your hapless and frustrated teammates and focus them on your opponents.

Maybe they should be getting their butts kicked.

Are they passing that much better than your team? Are they setting that much better than your team? Are they hitting that much harder or dinking that much smarter?

If they were all that much better, the score wouldn't be close at all.

So, in lieu of your team actually gelling and playing at its best, the way to catch up and win is to let your opponents have the opportunity to fail.

Here's the mindset you need for this strategy:

Ball in play on your side = your problem. Ball in play on their side = their problem.

Here are some of the finer points you might employ as the game goes on:

1. Send ALL your serves directly to their weakest passer.

2. Hit ALL your hits (spikes, lobs, dinks -- everything) directly to their weakest passer.

3. Every time your opponents' hitter goes to hit, put some hands in front of him. Any hands. Ninety percent of blocking is just in showing up. Showing up is enough to distract, if not discourage, most hitters.

4. When your opponents send the ball back over to your side of the net, they no longer have the opportunity to screw up. So, at a minimum, send the ball back to them, even on the first touch if necessary.

5. Forget about making a great pass, a great set and a great hit. Consider ANY playable pass to be a good-enough pass, ANY playable set to be a good-enough set and ANY hit to their court to be a good-enough hit. It's a great hit if it goes to their weakest passer.

I've seen plenty of games where a team just beats itself. When your team is doing this, shift the focus from your weaknesses to your opponents' weaknesses.

Let the other team have the opportunity to screw up. They might just meet your expectations by beating themselves faster than you can.

And with all the attention and expectations focuses on their side of the net, maybe your team's communication, timing, teamwork, skills -- and luck -- will return.

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.