Hitting at Summer Volleyball Camps

The Arm Swing
When I do my summer volleyball camps, hitting is the most sought after skill players want to learn. Everybody love to hit!
Similar to setting, hitting can be a challenge to teach due to the physical nature of the skill. Hitting in volleyball is a misnomer, it is actually snapping a ball, not hitting. What is the difference? In sports, we hit out of our shoulder, but snap out of our elbow and wrist. This is an important difference to understand.
Learning how to snap a ball is all about strengthening a group of muscles in your shoulder called the rotator cuff. There are four exercises you should do on a daily basis to strengthen this vital group of muscles. If you want to visually see the exercises done, please visit my web site at http://www.vbclinics.com/members.asp for a video demonstration. I recommend a five foot piece of 3/16” latex surgical tubing for use as resistance. You can find tubing at a local surgical supply store, E-Bay or Google.
Personally, I do these exercises three times a day; before, during and after I play. For the younger players, your shoulder will get much stronger. For the more advanced player, it will ward off shoulder pain often associated with a high degree of hitting repetition. .
The hitting vs. Snapping Issue All players initially hit the ball from their shoulder when they start out. It is a very natural as this is a by-product of how they use their arms when they jump and the shoulder is a much stronger joint for young players. We have a natural tendency to gravitate towards strength when learning new skills. When you jump, you swing your arms up to help elevate your body. This means a natural jump with your hand in a higher position than your elbow (hand high + elbow down=bad!) It promotes a hitting motion from the shoulder instead of snapping motion from the elbow and wrist. But one of two things happens that necessitate an arm swing change: either you start getting dug, or you hit too many balls into the net and block.
Successful players start to change from “hitters” into “snappers” at about the age of 16-17. They change for a simple reason: they need to do it to move on to the next level.
Why do we snap a volleyball instead of hitting it? Good question. There are three reasons:
1. The first reason is, it is how we put top spin on the ball. Spin in sports equals control. So by snapping the ball, it is how we control where we are going to hit it. Many of the balls that we hit move in “curves.” We “bend” the ball to the floor exactly where we want it to go.
2. The second reason we snap balls is because it is how we gain the power to play at the next level. Bio-mechanic studies have shown that 75% of your power is derived from your elbow and wrist. Have you ever seen a player at the net crush an overpass? That is all snap from the elbow and wrist as the players do not use their shoulder to pull down and make contact with the net.
3. The third and most important reason we snap a ball is because it allows us to hit out of our approach. Think of it through a defensive player’s perspective: There are three things good defensive players watch when they play defense: The hitter, the hitter and the hitter. By snapping the ball from your elbow, it allows us to develop range. One of the true secrets to hitting is don’t ever let your shoulders face where you are going to hit unless you can over-power the defense. Learn how to hit out of your approach. It is the essence of hitting! By snapping the ball from our elbow and wrist, it allows us to effectively “turn” the ball to avoid the block and diggers.
At my camps, I have simple a three step process to teach the mechanics of the arm swing.
Step One—Throw the ball high Learn how to throw the ball about 8-10 feet over your head. Why is this step one? Because a few minutes after you start this process, 90% of all the players I work with throw the ball too low. They do not give themselves time to execute a proper arm wing. Personally, I throw it with the hand I am going to hit with.
Step Two—Load your arm swing This is the crucial step. What your arm swing eventually evolves into is having your elbow higher than your hand when you bring your arm up. (elbow high+ hand down or relaxed = good!). You eventually learn how to jump leading with your elbow coming up. Most coaches teach the bow and arrow arm swing which is better than hitting the ball, but it is still not technically pure. The bow and arrow implies that your elbow and hand are on the same plane when in fact your elbow should be much higher than your hand on a good arm swing. You can never get your elbow high enough when you hit. If you have enough flexibility, your elbow should be well over your head. By getting your elbow high and hand down you accomplish two very important things at the same time: Snap and Extension. It is a two for one move. Step two is to throw the ball high and get your elbow high and your hand down. Don’t hit the ball, but learn how to load your arm. Do this five minutes a day to download the correct mechanics into your motor memory.
Step three—Snap but don’t follow through When teaching players new skills, I find it very useful to “over-correct” players into correct positions. I do it at my camps for hitting, passing, serving and defense. I learned this valuable tool many years ago while taking a golf lesson. My golf pro had me hit the ball hard to the left (a snap hook) in order to “feel” what is was like to hit the ball to correctly instead of a weak slice. Same concept applies to teaching volleyball. In order to get you to feel the “snap” in an arm swing, I am going to take the hitting joint (shoulder) out of the equation—DO NOT FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR HIT. Leave your hand up in the air. This is your finishing position. It will look like you are waiving “Hello” to a friend. Most importantly, it will force you to snap the ball out of your elbow and wrist instead of your shoulder. This step is where advanced player tend to resist me. They all want to hit hard, so they end up following through on their arm swing. Practice this drill for ten minutes a day hitting against a wall: elbow high, hand down, snap and leave your hand up.
Learning how to snap a ball will take time. How much time? According to the e-mails I receive from my participants it can take 20 to 40 days depending on how diligent you practice. Be patient. Make sure you combine the rotator cuff exercises with the “over-correction” practice against a wall. Snapping balls against a wall (keeping your arm up after you hit) is the best way to change your arm swing into a more dynamic movement.

2008 Volleyball Camp Schedule

2008 Volleyball Camp Schedule

Feb 2-3 Irvine, CA $145 University High School, Volleyball Camp

Feb. 15-16 Ventura, CA $140 Buena High School, Volleyball Clinic

March 8-9 Tampa, FL $140 Hillsborough Community College, Volleyball Camp

April 19-20 Phoenix, AZ $145 Kingdom Courts, Volleyball Clinic

May 3-4 Chicago, IL $140 Northside College Prep High, Volleyball Camp

May 10-11 Cleveland, OH $140 Rocky River Rec Center, Volleyball Clinic

May 17-18 Boston, MA $140 Bridgewater State College, Volleyball Camp

June 7-8 Cincinnati, OH $140 McGee's Courts 4 Sports, Volleyball Clinic

June 21-22 St. Louis, MO $140 Parkway West High School, Volleyball Camp

June 28-29 Denville, NJ $150 Powerzone, Volleyball Clinic

July 5-6 Sterling, VA $145 Dulles SportsPlex, Volleyball Camp

July 7-8 Quad Cities, IL $135 Black Hawk College, Volleyball Clinic

July 9-10 Two Rivers, WI $140 Two Rivers High School, Volleyball Camp

July 12-13 Indianapolis, IN $140 Indy Indoor Sports Park, Volleyball Clinic

July 14-15 Pittsburgh, PA $145 Greentree SportsPlex, Volleyball Camp

July 17-18 San Antonio, TX $145 Factory of Champions, Volleyball Camp

July 19-20 Dallas, TX $145 Volleyball Institute of Plano, Volleyball Clinic

July 21-22 Detroit, MI $145 Maxx Play Arena, Volleyball Camp

July 24-25 Kansas City, MO $140 Parkville Athletic Center, Volleyball Clinic

July 26-27 Denver, CO $145 Bladium Sports Club, Volleyball Camp

August 2-3 Phoenix, AZ $145 Kingdom Courts, Volleyball Clinic

August 5-6 San Diego, CA $145 Fairground Volleyball CTR, Volleyball Camp

August 9-10 San Francisco, CA $145 Payes Place, Volleyball Clinic

August 11-12 Seattle, WA $135 Kent Commons, Volleyball Camp

August 16-17 Irvine, CA $145 University High School, Volleyball Clinic

Nov. 1-2 Sterling, VA $145 Dulles Sports Plex, Volleyball Camp

Nov. 15-16 Pleasant Prairie, WI $140 LakeView RecPlex, Volleyball Clinic

Nov. 17-18 Canton, OH (Evenings) $140 Elite Sports Ohio, Volleyball Camp

Nov. 22-23 Minneapolis, MN $140 Ralia Sports Center, Volleyball Clinic

Dec. 13-14 Seattle, WA $135 Kent Commons, Volleyball Camp

Dec. 20-21 Cherry Hill , NJ $145 International Sports Center, Volleyball Camp

Volleyball Camps & Volleyball Clinics for Adults and Junior (Ages 12-18)across the US for 2008!

Serving in the Wind!

Living in Southern California has it's advantages. One of them is the fact that we enjoy two seasons out here: Nice and really nice. When we have a high pressure build-up to the east of us, we get a weather condition known as a "Santa Ana." This condition is responsible for the fires that received widespread attention. It also produces some great summer days right in the middle of winter for the rest of the country. SoCalis get a kick out of calling/e-mailing our friends to the east of us and telling them about how "Nice" it is here.....

Well.......I was at the beach last Wednesday at Moonlight playing our usual "Old Man" King of the Court Game, when the wind suddenly shifted from a slight Santa Ana to a 15-20 MPH onshore wind (Opposite direction.) To say siding-out was a chore, would be an understatement. For one thing, nobody could serve the ball in the court. Until, I reminded myself to do exactly what I teach at my clinics: Do not throw the toss high out of your hand.

One of the mistakes I see young players do is to toss the ball too high. You lose control when you do this. You have to hit the ball in the "Sweet Spot" when serving to insure you indent the ball. In the wind, this can be a big problem as even if you throw the ball up 12 inches, you are going to have the wind move the ball before you contact it. You will miss waaaaay too many serves.

Toss the ball low in the wind!

The Keys to Setting

Setting: The Basics, the Good and the Great


Setting is a challenge to teach at a clinic due to the physical nature of the skill. Strong fingers and wrists are a must, and strength must be developed through weeks and months of pushing physical limits. Setting a basketball for five minutes a day and doing push-ups on your fingers are a couple of ways to gain the required strength. The issue I have at my clinics is that I can teach only technique―not strength―and players' fingers only get weaker as the day progresses.

The Basics
When talking about passing or setting, knowledge of the “Rule of Ball Control” is crucial. Coaches have different ways of describing this phenomenon. I explain it to the participants at my clinic as an integral element of many skills; passing, setting and digging are the most common. The Rule of Ball Control implies that when the ball is either 30 feet or one-and-a-half seconds away from your body (whichever comes first), you do not move your arms or hands in relation to your body. Period. Many coaches call this a quiet platform when applying this rule to passing. Your body can move (very quickly, I hope) but your hands don’t move when you set and your arms don’t move when you pass or dig. There are two reasons good players do this. The first is that you set and pass better. How much better? In some cases, there's a one hundred percent improvement. The second and less obvious reason is that we tell the next person where the ball is going without saying a word. When hitting, a good player can look at the hands of the setter and know exactly where to line up his approach. They unconsciously read the hands of the setter. In sports, we call this nonverbal communication. How cool is it to be able to look at your teammates and know where the ball will be before they ever touch it? Many teams refer to this phenomenon as teamwork.

The number-one factor in teaching setting is to have players stagger their feet to increase power and control. Crossing the feet is a very common mistake that novice setters make. Setters running a normal offense always put their right foot forward for two reasons: It enables them to see the court with their peripheral vision, and if they do make a mistake, they are more apt to set the ball off the net instead of over the net—it is where their shoulders are facing. This is an issue young setters need to deal with when backsetting, as their shoulders are facing over the net and should be realigned to achieve proper placement of the ball. If you set the ball over the net, check your feet; chances are you have the wrong foot forward. When setting outside to the left side, the right foot goes forward; when setting to the right side, the left foot is forward.

Every player has a responsibility to make each contact better than the one before. This is the essence of what great setters do—they make their hitters better. Setters have a responsibility to control two aspects of the hitter. The first is to keep the hitter's approach always going into the cross-court. We have all dealt with sets that are set outside of our approach; the result is the ball location hangs you out to dry with a loss in power and efficiency. No matter where you start your approach from, the setter should be able to “see” the hitter and adjust the depth of the set accordingly. To find the second aspect of a good set, you have to ask yourself a question: “When hitting the hardest ball you have ever hit, you are slightly…?” Answer: You are slightly late to the ball. When you are late to a set, you accelerate through your approach, jump high and hit hard. The trick to setting is to always make your hitters slightly late into the cross-court shot. Simple to explain, but challenging to do. To sum this up in a single thought: Set the hitter―not the ball!

The Good
Setting is a matter of timing a hitter’s approach. What do good setters do? To answer this question, you have to ask yourself: Who watches the setter? The answer: the blockers―specifically the middle blocker. Again, good players don’t react to the ball in sports; what they react to are the bodies of other players. This is what we call anticipation. Middle blockers anticipate setters so intently that they watch them during warm-ups for any pattern of setting. Typically, setters will push out from their elbows when setting outside. They will elevate their hands when setting the quick, and they will arch their backs when setting behind them. To counter this, good setters need to learn how to set only from their wrists. This again takes an even greater amount of strength. By avoiding the use of the elbows when you set, you give the opposing middles less to watch on the release of the ball.

The Great
As part of their training, advanced setters learn how to set the ball past the apex of their jump. Jump setting is a skill that is mastered at advanced levels. However, what great setters learn how to do is set the ball not at the top of their jump, but just as they are going down. This enables them to hold on to the ball and hold the middle blockers for a split second longer. If you want to see two excellent setters who set from the wrist past the apex of their jump, watch a replay of the 2007 NCAA women’s finals and keep an eye on Stanford’s Bryn Kehoe and Penn State’s Alisha Glass.

The last article I wrote dealt with passing the ball low and to the net. Good players do not jump up from their legs to pass the ball. In fact, we do everything we can to keep the ball low. When you pass a ball low, you give the setter added peripheral vision. When you give the setter peripheral vision, they can time the approach of the hitters. The added value of passing a ball low is that you give your setter the ability to watch the block. Great setters learn how to split objects; what they look at and what they think about are two different things. After a ball is passed, great setters learn how to look between the ball and the block. They use this information to catch the middle blockers out of position and “set against the flow.” Setting against the flow is nothing more than seeing the blocker lean or step one way while the setter sets the other way. It is one more way the setter makes the hitters hit better by creating space between the middle blocker and the outside blocker.

Next Up: A Simple Drill to Learn an Arm Swing!

Secrets to Passing a Volleyball

The Most Common Problem with Passing

What volleyball skill determines who wins most matches? Passing? Serving? Hitting? Setting? Blocking? Digging?

It’s hitting. Outside hitting to be exact. If you average the hitting percentages of the two outsides and opposite and compare it to the same three players of the opposing team, whoever wins that battle will win 95% of all matches!

Here is a second fact that will make sense to you: When balls are passed high and off the net, the team’s outside hitting percentage goes down.

Passing a ball low and to the net is your goal when passing.

The most common error I see when players pass is they use their legs to elevate the ball. They jump up to elevate the ball so the setter has time to get to the ball. Bad move. This single action causes the ball to be passed high and/or off the net and the outside hitting percentages plummet.

Advanced players do everything they can to pass the ball low. The last thing we do is jump up from our legs to elevate the ball. The only time we pass a ball high, is to allow the middles to get off of the net, not to have the setter get in front of the pass.

How do we elevate the ball when we pass? From the arms. Let me explain. When I teach passing at my clinics, I have participants concentrate on one aspect of the skill: backspinning the ball. Backspin = Control = Cushioning = Cutting the ball. All of these words have essentially the same meaning. Whenever you spin a ball in sports, you put control on it.

There are four ways we backspin (control) a ball:

1 Bring your arms back to your body at the moment of contact. This is done all the time on hard driven balls. Specifically when we receive jump serves and when we dig. The arms in this case come back into our body and are used to cushion the impact and change the trajectory of the ball.
2 Pivot into the ball using your knee to go down and through the ball. This is why coaches stress getting behind the ball so you go down and through it on contact. The arms are used to elevate the ball from the shoulder joint.
3 Bend over at the waist when you contact the ball (See picture.) This is how I prefer to teach players to pass. Passers become more athletic (quicker) and learn how to “cut” the ball off of their arms. Again, we use the arms to elevate the ball.
4 Crunch into the ball from your upper chest (See picture.) Players always try to take balls in front of them, but sometimes the ball comes in too high. The only rule we use for passing is to backspin the ball. So, we use our upper body to “crunch” on the ball while using our arms to control the height. By the way, this method does allow us to jump up from our knees.

To teach a player who has always elevated the ball from their knees or waist can be a challenge. What I have found to be an effective teaching tool is what I call the “over-correction” method. It is a teaching concept I took from a golf lesson many years ago. As the name implies, the idea is to over-correct a problematic issue and learn the feeling of correct execution.

Over-correcting passing is fairly simple. To start I have the player put one foot in front of the other. This will create a pivot point on your body. Which foot goes forward? It depends on which side you are passing from. If you are on the left side of the court, put your left foot forward. If you are on the right side of the court, put your right foot forward. The ball will always go wherever your shoulders face as it helps square your shoulders to the target. Most players regardless of which side they are on put their left foot forward for a good reason; setters runs the offense from the right side of the court. Next, get your arms out in front of your face so you can see your wrists. Have you ever heard the expression “follow the ball into your arms?” Reverse this thought: “Follow your arms into the ball.” Lock your elbows so you don’t “pop” the ball. The last thing we do is bend over and touch the floor while contacting the ball. This action of “bending” into the ball and touching the floor will get you going in the right direction. It forces you to pivot down into the ball instead of lifting up from your legs or back. The trick is to let your arms elevate the ball. Since you were taught not to swing your arms, this can be challenging. Swinging your arms is defined by taking your arms out of your peripheral vision when the ball approaches your platform, not by swinging your arms up to elevate the ball. This is a key difference. The result of this whole process is the ball magically backspins (control) and the ball is passed much lower to the net. The feeling of backspin off the arms is what I refer to as “cutting” the ball. It has a much different feeling than jumping up and having the ball bounce off the arms.

Bending into the ball and cushioning it has one other important application: it is how we control power. I hear players coming back from tournaments lamenting how they were “overpowered” by other teams. When you use your legs to jump up on serve receive, you are at the mercy of a good jump serve. By learning how to bend into passes we minimize powerful serves from the other team.

NEXT UP: THE ISSE OF SETTING. WHY YOU WERE TAUGHT TO PASS A BALL HIGH!

2007 Volleyball Camp & Clinics Schedule

Dates E Location Cost Availability Site A J
February 3-4 Irvine, CA, University HS, Volleyball Camp
March 17-18 Tampa, FL Hillsborough CC, Volleyball Clinic
April 28-29 Phoenix, AZ, Kingdom Courts, Volleyball Camp
May 5-6 Chicago, IL, Northside Prep, Volleyball Clinic
May 12-13 Cleveland, OH, Rocky River, Volleyball Camp
May 19-20 Boston, MA, BSC, Volleyball Clinic
June 16-17 Cincinnati, OH, McGee's Courts, Volleyball Camp
June 21-22 Springfield, MO, The Courts, Volleyball Clinic
June 23-24 St. Louis, MO, Parkway West, Volleyball Camp
June 25-26 Cape Girardeau, MO, Cape Central HS, Volleyball Clinic
June30-July1 Denville, NJ, Powerzone, Volleyball Camp
July 5-6 Richmond, VA, Athletes Training Source, Volleyball Clinic
July 7-8 Sterling, VA, Dulles SportsPlex, Volleyball Camp
July 9-10 Quad Cities, IL, Black Hawk, Volleyball Clinic
July 11-12 Two Rivers, WI, Two Rivers HS, Volleyball Camp
July 14-15 Indianapolis, IN, Indy Sports Park, Volleyball Clinic
July 16-17 Pittsburgh, PA, Greentree SportsPlex. Volleyball Camp
July 19-20 San Antonio, TX, Factory of Champions, Volleyball Clinic
July 21-22 Dallas, TX, SportsPlex, Volleyball Camp
July 23-24 Detroit, MI, Maxx Play Arena, Volleyball Clinic
July 26-27 Kansas City, MO, PAC, Volleyball Camp
July 28-29 Denver, CO, Bladium Sports Club, Volleyball Clinic
August 4-5 Phoenix, AZ, Kingdom Courts, Volleyball Camp
August 7-8 San Diego, CA, Fairground Center, Volleyball Clinic
August 11-12 Seattle, WA, Kent Commons, Volleyball Camp
August 13-14 Portland, OR, The Hoop, Volleyball Clinic
August 18-19 Irvine, CA, University HS, Volleyball Camp
Oct.27-28 San Francisco, CA, Payes Place, Volleyball Clinic
Nov. 3-4 Sterling, VA, Dulles Sports Plex, Volleyball Camp
Nov. 10-11 Houston, TX Willowbrook Complex, Volleyball Clinic
Nov. 17-18 Pleasant Prairie, WI, LakeView RecPlex, Volleyball Camp
Nov. 19-20 X Canton, OH, Elite Sports Ohio, Volleyball Clinic
Dec. 1-2 Minneapolis, MN, Ralia Center, Volleyball Camp
Dec. 8-9 Cherry Hill , NJ, ISC, Volleyball Clinic
Dec. 15-16 Seattle, WA, Kent Commons Volleyball Camp
Dec. 17-18 X Surrey, BC, Panorama Ridge HS, Volleyball Clinic

Information on attending volleyball camps

Q: What is the recommended age of participants?

A: Age 12--adult. Skills clinics are different than camps. Participants learn skills. We do not play against each other all day. Two hours into the clinic, players are divided up based on how hard they hit. For me it is a safety issue. Safety of all participants is my primary concern.

Q: What if I feel my skill level is not good enough to participate?

A: Relax. Most of the time we learn skills and do drills. Skill level and age are not an issue. The second hour of the clinic we separate out players by how hard they hit. I do not mix skill levels when we play. It is a safety issue. 20 minutes into the clinic, you will feel fine.

Q: What if I am a good player, will I learn anything?

A: The participants who get the most out of the clinic are advanced players and coaches because they understand the game better and have a greater appreciation for the instruction.

Q: Adults and juniors together? How does that work?

A: Great! In fact I rarely do clinics of just adults or just juniors. Again, we separate out players by how hard they hit and how well they play. I have found the best ratio for clinics is: 40% junior girls, 30% junior boys and 30% adults. Junior players listen better when adults are in attendance and adults last longer on the court when junior players are playing with them.

Q: How old are "junior players?"

A: Age12-18 years old.

Q: How many participants are at each event?

A: Usually 55-65. It depends on the location.

Q: How many instructors at each clinic?

A: No less than four (including myself) and usually five. I do all the instruction at all events. The assistants are prepped in advance on how and what to teach.

Q: What is the format for the clinic?

A: I teach skills a little different than most coaches: I advocate passing the ball low instead of high. I am a big fan of snapping the ball instead of hitting it. Because of this, I have a successful teaching manner: theory, demonstration, "Over-Correction," drill, next skill. Then we play "Survivor."

Q: What is "Survivor?"

A: Survivor is where we put everything together. The first part of the clinic is where we establish the rules and teach you how to play, the last part of each day is when we make you play by the rules…or you go to the end of the line. Very effective!

Q: What happens if I am put on the waiting list?

A: I will send you an e-mail telling you the clinic is currently full and what number you are on the waiting list. I release the list 7 days prior to the event

Q: Can parents watch?

A: Yes. Parents are more than welcome to watch the clinic and are actively encouraged to participate when I talk to the junior players about high school, college, club ball and scholarships at the end of the first day.

Q: Can players under the age of 18 leave the facility?

A: Absolutely not. Juniors must stay inside the building until a responsible party arrives to pick them up.

Q: Does the cost of the clinic include housing?

A: A list of nearby hotels will be included in the e-mail I will send to you.

Q: Should I bring water, snacks, knee-pads and extra t-shirts as needed?

A: Yes.

Q: If I still have a question, who do I contact?

A: Send me an e-mail or phone me (760) 635-3994