Volleyball

Increase Vertical Jump Training Program by Misty Walsh

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 06:20:00 +0000

Volleyball is a sport that puts a lot of influence on jumping and no athlete is in better jumping shape than a beach volleyball player. This is why they are the perfect athlete to learn from when it comes to jumping higher. If you can learn from them, you will get great results.

An increase vertical jump training program is the best way to improve you vertical leap.

The best vertical jump training programs will include all the jumping exercises that you need to get as high as possible. If you are wondering where to start, I will give you some workouts you can do at home to warm up the muscles and get them ready for when you buy a real program.

Squats with a jump at the top are a great way to start. You need to train yourself to bend a little more at the knees before jumping and you will notice a better jump height. This is very important for anyone that will be doing blocking. With blocking, you don't get to have an approach so you have to rely on your standing vert. Bending more at the knees will allow you to push against the ground for a longer period of time and that will make you jump higher.

When Receiving the Volleyball Serve, More is Not Merrier by Andrea Fryrear

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:20:00 +0000

Having more hockey players on the ice, more soccer players on the field or more basketball players on the court would give your team a distinct advantage. But in volleyball the court is small enough that more players trying to pass the ball can often be a disadvantage. In this case, more is not merrier. More passers means more seams, more opportunities for miscommunication and more serve receive errors.

Rather than smoosh everyone on your team into a serve receive formation, try to keep the number of passing down to three. If that seems like way too few give four passers a try, but your goal should be using only three passers.

In a four-person serve receive there are at least three seams, and there may be more if any of the front row players start creeping back and trying to pass. "Seams" are the lines between passers where either person could possibly be responsible for playing the ball. When a serve is heading for a seam both players have to communicate about which one of them will pass the ball. More seams create more demands on team communication.

One of the worst parts of this type of serve receive is the huge hole in the very middle of the court. Any of the four players in serve receive could potentially pass a serve heading for that spot. It's an obvious target for a good server, and many players enjoy serving into that type of communication hot spot. With four passers in play there will also be at least one front row player passing, which creates another good target for your opponent's serve. A smart server can aim for the front row hitter in the hopes of taking him or her out of the offense with a difficult serve.

In three-person serve receive we have only two major seams, which may cut down on potential communication problems. Keep in mind that this type of passing makes more demands on the abilities of all three receivers, because each person is responsible for any serve within their 1/3 of the court. This means if the ball is served short the passer must move forward to pass it; or if the serve lands near the end line the passer needs to move backwards into position (or receive it with an overhand pass).

If your passers are having trouble handling a full third of the court you can try using the two outside passers to take short serves while the middle passer takes anything deep. This increases the need for communicationg because it can be unclear what constitutes a "short" serve and passers need to call the ball early. Go with whatever your team is comfortable with, and don't be afraid to experiment.

It can be difficult to transition to having fewer players involved in serve receive, but you'll reap rewards when it comes to your passing accuracy and communication. And remember, no matter what formation you use you need to call the ball early and often!

For more details about passing, including drills, diagrams and photographs of proper form, check out the Volleyball-Life Passing Ebook.

A Simple Drill to Improve Volleyball Hitting Accuracy by Andrea Fryrear

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:19:00 +0000

If executed correctly a volleyball attack is one of the most amazing skills in professional sports. Unfortunately for many of us, the volleyball attack is also a skill that can seem very complicated to learn. But nothing is impossible! No matter what your height, with some perseverance and a mastery of the basic skills your kill percentage will go through the roof in no time.

For starters I recommend this drill. It doesn't require anything but a volleyball net and a tennis ball so it can be done nearly anywhere. If you have a partner who can catch the tennis ball it will save you some time and keep you from running all around the gym, but if not just think of it as your cardio for the day.

Players who have mastered their basic approach footwork and are ready to move on to achieving a quick arm swing and wrist snap will benefit the most from this drill. It helps you learn to really put the ball down into the court (instead of making spectators duck with fear).

To begin the drill put a tennis ball in your attacking hand, and move to the starting spot for whatever type of attack you need to practice. So if you're an outside (left-side) hitter, you'd start a step or two to the left of the court boundary and a step or two behind the 10-foot (3-meter).

Execute your approach using whatever type of footwork you're most comfortable with, plant your feet and jump as high as you can. When you're at the point of the attack when you would normally be hitting the volleyball, throw the tennis ball instead. Really focus on your arm swing and watch where the ball is landing in the court. And don't stop your arm swing once the tennis ball has been thrown; you want to simulate your attack motion, so keep the follow through in place. I like to think about "quarters in my hand": if there was somebody standing behind me while I did my approach my wrist should have snapped and my arm should have swung all the way back around by the time I land so that the person could put some quarters into my hand.

This technique helps you focus on a quick follow through with your swing and and snapping your wrist down through the ball.

Practice throwing the tennis ball across the court, down the line, on a sharp angle -- anywhere you want to hit with your attack. Once you're comfortable throwing the tennis ball on your own it's helpful to add a blocker or other obstacle so that you're forced to throw around someone's hand just like in a game.

Volleyball Terms Defined: Offense, Defense and Rotations by Andrea Fryrear

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:18:00 +0000

Some of the terms used in volleyball can be confusing to new players, so I like to offer a resource that provide an explanation of some of the most often used terms. In this article we'll cover offense, defense and rotations.

Offense: This term refers to the system being used to attack the ball, and is usually a 6-2 or a 5-1. Teams choose an offense that will help them ensure that they can make an effective pass, a capable set, and a strong attack, giving them the best chance to win the point. Some teams, especially those just learning the game, run a 4-2 offense.

In a 6-2 offense there are two setters, and each on sets while s/he is on the back row of the court. This allows the team to always have three hitters on the front row who can attack the ball at the net. It can sometimes be difficult for a team to transition between setters throughout the game, however.

A 5-1 offense uses only one setter. This setter is responsible for setting the second ball no matter where s/he is on the court. In this offense there will be three rotations where the team has only two front row hitters, but an athletic and skillful setter can make up for this potential pitfall.

Rotations/rotation: This basically refers to the order in which all six players are placed around the court. There are always three front row players and three back row players. Teams can arrange their players in whatever order seems best to them, but the players must stay in their positions until the ball has been served or they will be called "out of rotation" and the other team will be awarded a point. Teammates can be as close or as far away from one another as needed as long as they don't overlap the players next to them and move into the wrong spot on the court.

After the ball has been served players are free to move around wherever they want, but only the three players who are on the front row can attack the ball in front of the 10-foot line or block. (Note: this can vary in some co-ed leagues).

Defense: Defense refers to the arrangement of the team that's not hitting the ball. It's a combination of blockers and passers, all of which are setup to try and maximize the defending team's chances of digging the attack and getting a good pass to the setter.

Usually you have one player who is responsible for getting tips or soft hits, two or three players who arrange themselves deep in the court to try and dig hard hit attacks, and anywhere from one to three players blocking. The way that each team sets up their defense will depend on their unique strengths and weaknesses.

For more information about volleyball skills you can visit Volleyball-Life.com, or to jump start your own volleyball development today check out the Volleyball Life Ebook Series.

Three Tips for Beautiful Volleyball Sets by Andrea Fryrear

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 06:17:00 +0000

In a previous article I discussed how important it is to have a solid footwork foundation (you can see that article here). Now it's time to expand your setting skills to include not only footwork but your hands as well.

There are three main principles that you should keep in mind when setting:

1. Your hands need to be both soft and strong.

As the ball approaches you your hands should already be above your head with wrists cocked back slightly. Cushion the ball as it contacts your hands by flexing your wrists just a little more and then straighten them quickly. Use both hands equally to direct the ball toward your chosen hitter.

Remember that there is a very small difference between soft hands that can cushion the ball and illegally holding the volleyball too long. If you break your wrists too much and appear to carry the ball, you'll be called for a lift and your opponents will get a point.

Conversely, your hands can't be too stiff either. Without some give in your wrists you'll never get the ball under control. When using a forearm pass you're just redirecting the ball's momentum toward the target by allowing it to ricochet off your arms. Setting, however, demands that you alter the ball's path as it leaves your hands.

As it approaches you (the setter) the volleyball is traveling toward the net. After the set you want it to travel parallel to the net. So without hands that are soft enough to cushion the ball and alter its path without holding on too long, you won't be able to achieve accurate sets.

2. Thumbs in the eyes

Please keep in mind that I'm not advocating that you really jab your thumbs into your eyes. What I am saying is that as you receive the ball your thumbs should be almost directly above your eyes.

To achieve this position your wrists need to be flexed slightly and your fingers rounded. This type of position should direct your thumbs back toward your face; if they're not pulled back they'll be in the way of the ball, and jammed thumbs will ruin anybody's day.

As mentioned in #1 we need hands that can cushion the ball without carrying it too long, which means we need nice ball-shaped hands. And of course the only way to get our hands to make a spherical shape is by pulling our thumbs back toward our eyes.

By making sure your thumbs are pointing toward your eyes and not your mouth or forehead you'll be well on your way toward achieving a more consistent set.

3. Take a cue from soccer

I know this might seem a little odd since soccer players use their feet and setting involves just your hands, but to have accurate ball position when setting the volleyball we can imitate soccer players a little. More specifically, I'm referring to heading the ball.

If your footwork has been accurate and you've positioned yourself underneath the ball in preparation for setting, it should be approaching your forehead. Moving your hands away at the last second should result in the volleyball hitting your forehead, not your mouth or the top of your head.

Again, I'm not advocating that you actually let the ball hit you on the head or in the face.

Keeping the ball above your forehead will allow you to take full advantage of the power generated by your arms, wrists and leg muscles. Maintaining this ball position every time you set will also decrease the amount of time the ball is in your hands, making it less likely for you to be called for a lift.

For more detailed instruction on setting footwork, hand position, and drills to get you on your way to setting perfection, check out the Volleyball-Life Setting Ebook.

2 Quick Tips for Better Volleyball Blocking Today by Andrea Fryrear

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:17:00 +0000

A volleyball block may not seem like a very difficult skill -- after all it's just jumping up in the air with your hands up, right? But in fact it's one of the more difficult parts of playing volleyball, even if you're tall. Timing, explosive jumps and effective arm movement all have to come together. In this article I'll give you two quick tips that will improve your blocking right away!

Tip #1: Keep your hands at shoulder height.

Our instinct is to try and propel ourselves upward using our arms, which will involve lowering our hands well below our waist. There are two big problems with this technique, however. Firstly it makes it much more likely that you'll contact the net illegally (awarding the other team a point). Secondly it slows down your jump by several seconds, making it much more difficult to time the block. Instead keep your hands just in front of your shoulders, so you can extend your arms up and your hands over the net at a moment's notice. You should be able to see your hands through your peripheral vision at all times.

Tip #2: Hands should penetrate over the net - no swinging!

Imagine that the net is electrified and that you don't want to touch it at any cost. You need to extend your arms directly up from the shoulders. Then as your hands make it up over the top of the net you can break your wrists slightly. This forms a "roof" that can push an attacked volleyball directly back onto your opponent's court.

If you're a little on the short side or lack jumping skills you can still be an effective blocker. Instead of "roofing" concentrate on what's called "soft blocking." Simply bend your wrists backward so that if the ball contacts your hands it will ricochet upwards, making it easier for your teammates to pass.

Tip #3: Up and down, not side to side.

Always remember to plant your feet before you take off. This helps you jump straight up and down when blocking so that you don't collide with other members of your team who are also blocking. The same rule applies to your hands: they should extend up and down in a single plane.

Keep an eye on your elbows too; they should stay close to your body and not flail around like chicken wings. This will keep your fellow blockers safe (nobody wants an elbow in the eye). It also helps you by keeping your hands closer together so the ball doesn't fly through them.

Also check out our tips on improving your vertical leap to help your blocking skills.

For more information on volleyball skills, visit Volleyball-Life.com's Skills Section

How To Play Volleyball: Volleyball Rules by Jordan English

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:16:00 +0000

Learning how to play volleyball is something most people learn in school. Volleyball is an active and explosive sport that can be played with as few as four people although competitive volleyball is played with up to 12 total players on each team. It is a sport that can be played by all ages and offers excellent health benefits too.

Volleyball rules get very specific covering topics from the size and position of numbers on the jersey to the width of the lines. I will cover the basic rules for indoor competitive volleyball so that can get you started.

Each team has six players on the court at one time separated by a net. One team member serves the volleyball from behind the back boundary to the opposing teams court starting the volley. The opposing team must not allow the ball to land inside their court. They are allowed to hit the ball up to three times before sending it back over the net to the other team.

The three primary types of hits used in volleyball are the bump, set, and spike. A bump is usually the first contact with the ball. The hands are clasped together with elbows straight and arms pointing downward. The set is performed with the fingertips of both hands making contact with the ball around the players head and used to "set" the ball up near the net for a spike. A spike is when a player hits the ball downward over the net to the other teams court.

Points are scored by either a fault of the opposing team or a kill. A fault occurs when the ball lands outside the opponents court, the ball hits the net or does not go over the net on a serve, two consecutive hits by the same player, four hits without the ball going over the net, and catching or throwing the ball.

A kill occurs when the ball hits the ground inside the opposing teams court. Only the serving team can gain a point. If the serving team faults or loses the rally, the opposing team gains the serve.

There are some exceptions to the three hit rule. Blocking does not count as a hit. This means a player is allowed to block and then immediately hit the ball without penalty. If a spike is blocked the hit count is reset to zero and the team may hit the ball three more times without being penalized.

Each time a team wins the rally back they rotate clockwise one position. The player in sixth position rotates to the first position.

A set is won when a team reaches 25 points with a minimum lead of two points. This means if the score is tied 24-24 the winning team will need to reach 26 while holding the other team to 24.

A match is won when a team wins three sets.

If you have not played volleyball before there are city leagues that play in most municipalities and you will often be able to find church groups and recreational centers that also have teams available for you to join.

Differences Between Men and Women's Volleyball by Rachel Paiste

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:12:00 +0000

There are many similarities between women and men's volleyball. In fact, the rules are almost identical. Six players are on the court at a time, with the option to sub in additional players when the team circulates positions before a serve. Points are scored identically in both men and women's volleyball games. The first difference is the height of the net: the men's net is 1.9 centimeters higher than the women's net. This doesn't sound like a huge difference, but it can be, particularly when spiking the ball. Some spectators claim that men's volleyball is more aggressive than women's, which is not always the case. Both can be aggressive, though women's volleyball matches do tend to have slightly longer rallies than men's. Spikes more often lead to points in men's games than in women's games. Though it is speculative, it is believed that this is due to the speed of the ball in men's games being higher than in women's volleyball matches, so it is more difficult to get under it for a save before the ball hits the ground. In NCAA volleyball, women play to 25 points and men play to 30. There must be a 2-point spread for a winner to be declared in both men and women's games. The reality of the situation is that most of the differences in women and men's volleyball are speculative and usually gender biased. You will usually hear that men's games are played harder/stronger/faster than women's because men are more aggressive. Obviously, this is a generalization based in theory and not fact, though it often can be true. We have trophies for both men and women's volleyball at the best prices you'll find anywhere.

Best Jump Training Program-The Jump Mentor by Samantha White

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:12:00 +0000

Are you looking for the best jump training program on the market? If you want to learn how to jump higher, you have to use the Jump Mentor. It has produced amazing results for myself as well as others that I used it on for testing. There are many jumping programs that are designed to increase vertical jump height. If you want a product that works you need to go with the Jump Mentor.

It was created by the world's top jump training expert, Cade Orvin. Now you can know the secrets behind the jump training that Cade has used for professional beach volleyball players for years.

Beach volleyball players have the best vertical leaps of any athlete in the world and they use Cade's Jump Mentor to get those results. It's time that you start to train like a beach volleyball player even if you play basketball or indoor volleyball, you will be jumping higher than you ever thought possible. So what are you waiting for? Get the Jump Mentor and develop the vertical that you have always wanted.

One thing about the product that is worth mentioning is that it allows you to pick from workouts to create a more personal workout to jump higher. The workouts work even though the presentation isn't the prettiest thing ever.

one_on_one training for vertical jump manual by Piyushel

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:10:00 +0000

The Jump Manual is the only programme that targets every facets to vertical explosion. Effectively training aspects of vertical jump is only way to maximize your vertical jump explosion.
The Jump Manual is the only program with a 10 inches gain or money back guarantee. The creator of the program, Jacob Hiller, has been developing his vertical jump program fundamentals for 8 years. As the newest program existing, The Jump Manual implements all of the hottest developments in nowadays vertical leap training. Jacob Hiller has helped thousands of athletes, volleyball players, basketball players and dancers worldwide to better their jumping abilities with the use of 9 essential yet often ignored facets of training. In some sports like volleyball, hurdle race, and basketball, vertical jumps are crucial to the team's overall success. It is every athlete's dream to increase their vertical jumping capability to improve their game. Whether you are doing exercises and stretches to improve your vertical jump, somehow you feel like there's something missing from your training.

What exactly is the jump manual.?
The Jump manual is an "all in one" vertical jump training software that provide you everything you need in order to achieve your maximum vertical jump and quickness. The jump manual is compatiable with all computer platforms , Windows ,Mac and Linux You can also check out The Jump Manual's collection of complete video workouts. These videos are filled with exercises that could add inches to your vertical jumps.
If you order your The Jump Manual software earlier, you will be able to start on your journey to make your dream a reality. One of the things you'll be receiving with the package is a complete exercise chart that provides information on how to take your vertical jump to the next level. Aside from this, the chart also gives you an idea on how to make the most out of your leg exercises. By getting pumped up with workout ideas on how to improve your vertical jumps, you will be rewarded in due time.

Is one-on-one training important?

Professional athletes have one-on-one coaches to guarantee that their training is effective. An experienced trainer working personally with you will guarantee that you don't waste time, energy, and enthusiasm on ineffective methods.
If you are truly serious about succeeding you need a coach. You need someone who can ensure that you completely understand what is going to be effective. Even the smallest unanswered question about your training can damper your confidence and hinder your dedication and motivation. You can't leave your success to chance. I have provided hundreds of athletes the training and coaching to exceed 40+ inches of vertical explosion. If you were to obtain personal trainer you would likely pay $200 - $250 per hour. You can have this same benefit for a fraction of the price.

Is it possible to get more than 30 days of one on one coaching? Yes, when availability permits. Responding personally to hundreds of emails can be very time consuming. You may inquire after purchase about one on one email coaching and about current rates.

How fast will see results?
It's important to maintain reasonable expectations of improvement. Results usually come when you don't expect them, but when you follow correct principles they WILL come. The fastest results come at the beginning as you begin to activate new muscles and benefit from new techniques that you have never used before. You will eventually settle in to a steady climb of increased explosion and speed.

Results: Talking about results, this is actually the best aspect of the program. The Jump Manual website claims that there is no one single person who has completed the program and was not satisfied with their jump height increase. He says no one has ever asked for their money back. That means there is a 100% customer satisfaction.

Train to Jump Higher for Volleyball by Tim Archbold

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Having the ability to jump high in volleyball is important for the purpose of blocking shots and executing spectacular spikes. It does not matter if you are short or tall, everyone can benefit from adding a few more inches to their vertical jump. To train to jump higher requires a few basic principles you must follow to achieve your goal.

When you undertake a jump program you need to keep in mind that it can take months before you can see some real gains. Consider this as a long term program and not a quick fix and you will have a better chance to succeed. A side benefit of training to jump higher is you will be able to accelerate faster from a dead stop when you need to change positions.

If I were to pinpoint one key thing that would help you jump higher it would be stronger legs. The legs are what propel you upwards off the court be it wood or sand. So you need to strengthen the thigh and hip muscles as the first priority and next would be the calves.

Squats and dead lifts are the two most important strength exercises you should be doing, not only will they strengthen the thighs but you also get a whole body workout. Calve raises are needed for the lower legs. If you are just starting out at trying to jump higher, do the strength building for at least a couple months.

The next thing that you need to work on after the strength building would be explosive strength. This is accomplished by doing plyometrics which involve various jumping exercises done explosively. Not only will this help you jump much higher, this will also help your acceleration from a dead start. Plyometrics are stressful to your joints and it is recommended not to do these more than two or three times per week.

It would be best to find a good program that would show you how to train correctly so you can focus on doing the right things. Do not expect overnight results as this is a long term commitment but if you want to jump higher these are the things that you must do.

Jump Higher for Volleyball. by Dibbs

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:54:00 +0000

More on Increase vertical and Jumping Exercises Before you jump high you need to understand the physiology of muscles. You might not know this but our muscles can store energy for a split second and that can be used to increase jump height.

Muscles can be seen as springs and you know that when a spring is compressed it has energy stored and ready to be used. This is what happens in the muscles of our legs as we bend our knees before a jump.

What you are doing is essentially loading the spring. Your muscles feel a stretch and that results in what is called the golgi tendon reflex that makes that muscles want to spring.

So this is where a proper jump training program comes into play. Plyometrics can cause that reaction to fire with much more power which results in you jumping much higher. Don't think that lifting weights is all you need to get air. You don't see many bodybuilders dunking do you?

You do need strong legs and tendons before you start an intense jumping routine. Plyometrics will train your muscles to all fire at the exact same time and this will make you jump higher.

1. First you need to start with strenthening the legs. If you can squat 125% of your weight 8 times in 8 seconds then your legs are ready to start a jump training program. If not then you will need to spend a few weeks strengthening your legs.

2. Now that your legs are strong enough, make sure you do plyos on fresh legs. Don't burn out with weights and then do plyos. You want to jump your highest possible each time.

More on Increase vertical and Jumping Exercises

Sand Volleyball by Dibbs

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:53:00 +0000

Indoor volleyball and beach volleyball are much different. You can't just assume that you can play beach volleyball because you play indoor volleyball.

1. The serve is the best place to start with our rules. A tossed ball that isn't contacted is a lost point.

2. You don't stay on one side of the net for the whole game. When playing outside there are factors like the sun and wind which give one an advantage over the other. When going to 21 you switch sides every 7 points.

3. If you shank a ball and it goes way out on the other side of the net you can go get it. As long as the ball was outside the antenna.

4. A beach volleyball is not an indoor volleyball. Beach volleyballs are much softer because the psi is always below 4 psi.

5. A hard driven ball is allowed to be doubled with you hands. This means that you can slightly grab the ball for a second.

6. You can not set the serve in beach volleyball. A serve is never allowed to be doubled in any way.

7. Indoor volleyball players have the hardest time learning how to set the ball properly in beach volleyball. The ball should leave your hands with no spin and should be pretty silent.

8. You must be perpendicular to the ball if you set the ball over the net. The only exception is if you set your partner and the wind takes it over the net.

9. The block counts as a hit in beach volleyball. So if you touch the ball on the block you have 2 more hits to get it back over the net.

Cade is an expert in women's beach volleyball and sand volleyball

Juming Higher for Volleyball by Dibbs

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:51:00 +0000

First you need to understand a few things about muscles before you start plyometrics. Muscles can store energy for a split second and you are able to use that energy to jump higher.

So when your knees bend you are essentially loading a spring. The muscles in our body can feel any stretch and they want to counter that by contracting the opposing muscles which will cause us to jump.

This is where plyometrics come in. Plyos and proper training will make that counter reaction fire with much more power. It's not the size of the muscle that determines power, or your would see bodybuilders hitting their heads on the rim from jumping so high.

Jumping has more to do with muscles firing at the exact same time instead of just brute strength. Don't get me wrong, you need strong legs before you start a plyometric type exercise program.

1. If you can't squat your weight comfortably then you need to get stronger legs before starting plyos. Aim to do 125% your weight 8 reps in 8 seconds.

2. Okay, so once you are ready to do plyos you need to make sure to do them when your legs aren't tired or sore. Don't do a leg workout and then plyos. You need to jump your highest each time if you want to be able to jump higher.

THE VOLLEY AND OVERHEAD SMASH by Jamulco Setiawan

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:49:00 +0000

The net attack is the heavy artillery of tennis. It is supposed to crush all defence. As such it must be regarded as a point-winning stroke at all times, no matter whether the shot is volley or smash.

Once at the net hit from the point at the first opportunity given to get the racquet squarely on the ball. All the laws of footwork explained for the drive are theoretically the same in volleying. In practice you seldom have time to change your feet to a set position, so you obviate trouble by throwing the weight on the foot nearest to the ball and pushing it in the shot.

Volleys are of two classes: (1) the low volley, made from below the waist; and (2) the high volley, from the waist to the head. In contradistinction to the hitting plane classification are the two styles known as (1) the deep volley and (2) the stop volley.

All low volleys are blocked. High volleys may be either blocked or hit. Volleys should never be stroked. There is no follow through on a low volley and very little on a high one.

You will hear much talk of "chop" volleys. A chop stroke is one where the racquet travels from above the line of flight of the ball, down and through it, and the angle made behind the racquet is greater than 45 degrees, and many approach 90 degrees. Therefore I say that no volleys should be chopped, for the tendency is to pop the ball up in the air off any chop. Slice volleys if you want to, or hit them flat, for both these shots are made at a very small angle to the flight-line of the ball, the racquet face travelling almost along its plane.

In all volleys, high or low, the wrist should be locked and absolutely stiff. It should always be below the racquet head, thus bracing the racquet against the impact of the ball. Allow the force of the incoming shot, plus your own weight, to return the ball, and do not strive to "wrist" it over. The tilted racquet face will give any required angle to the return by glancing the ball off the strings, so no wrist turn is needed.

Low volleys can never be hit hard, and owing to the height of the net should usually be sharply angled, to allow distance for the rise. Any ball met at a higher plane than the top of the net may be hit hard. The stroke should be crisp, snappy, and decisive, but it should stop as it meets the ball. The follow through should be very small. Most low volleys should be soft and short. Most high volleys require speed and length.

The "stop" volley is nothing more than a shot blocked short. There is no force used. The racquet simply meets the oncoming ball and stops it. The ball rebounds and falls of its own weight. There is little bounce to such a shot, and that may be reduced by allowing the racquet to slide slightly under the ball at the moment of impact, thus imparting back spin to the ball.

Volleying is a science based on the old geometric axiom that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. I mean that a volleyer must always cover the straight passing shot since it is the shortest shot with which to pass him, and he must volley straight to his opening and not waste time trying freakish curving volleys that give the base-liner time to recover. It is Johnston's great straight volley that makes him such a dangerous net man. He is always "punching" his volley straight and hard to the opening in his opponent's court.

A net player must have ground strokes in order to attain the net position. Do not think that a service and volley will suffice against first-class tennis.

Strive to kill your volleys at once, but should your shot not win, follow the ball 'cross and again cover the straight shot. Always force the man striving to pass you to play the hardest possible shot.

Attack with your volleys. Never defend the ball when at the net. The only defensive volley is one at your feet as you come in. It is a mid-court shot. Volleys should win with placement more than speed, although speed may be used on a high volley.

Closely related to the volley, yet in no way a volley stroke, is the overhead smash. It is the Big Bertha of tennis. It is the long range terror that should always score. The rules of footwork, position, and direction that govern the volley will suffice for the overhead. The swing alone is different. The swing should be closely allied to the slice service, the racquet and arm swinging freely from the shoulder, the wrist flexible and the racquet imparting a slight twist to the ball to hold it in court. The overhead is mainly a point winner through speed, since its bounce is so high that a slow placement often allows time for a recovery.

Do not leap in the air unnecessarily to hit overhead balls. Keep at least one foot, and when possible both feet, on the ground in smashing, as it aids in regulating the weight, and gives better balance. Hit flat and decisively to the point if desired.

Most missed overhead shots are due to the eye leaving the ball; but a second class of errors are due to lack of confidence that gives a cramped, half-hearted swing. Follow through your overhead shot to the limit of your swing.

The overhead is essentially a doubles shot, because in singles the chances of passing the net man are greater than lobbing over his head, while in doubles two men cover the net so easily that the best way to open the court is to lob one man back.

In smashing, the longest distance is the safest shot since it allows a greater margin of error. Therefore smash 'cross court when pressed, but pull your short lobs either side as determined by the man you are playing.

Never drop a lob you can hit overhead, as it forces you back and gives the attacking position to your opponent. Never smash with a reverse twist, always hit with a straight racquet face and direct to the opening.

Closely connected to the overhead since it is the usual defence to any hard smash, is the lob.

A lob is a high toss of the ball landing between the service-line and the baseline. An excellent lob should be within 6 feet of the baseline.

Lobs are essentially defensive. The ideas in lobbing are: (1) to give yourself time to recover position when pulled out of court by your opponent's shot; (2) to drive back the net man and break up his attack; (3) to tire your opponent; (4) occasionally to, win cleanly by placement. This is usually a lob volley from a close net rally, and is a slightly different stroke.

There is (1) the chop lob, a heavily under-cut spin that hangs in the air. This, is the best defensive lob, as it goes high and gives plenty of time to recover position. (2) The stroke lob or flat lob, hit with a slight top spin. This is the point-winning lob since it gives no time to, the player to run around it, as it is lower and faster than the chop. In making this lob, start your swing like a drive, but allow the racquet to slow up and the face to tilt upward just as you meet the ball. This, shot should seldom go above 10 feet in the air, since it tends to go out with the float of the ball.

The chop lob, which is a decided under cut, should rise from 20 to 30 feet, or more, high and must go deep. It is better to lob out and run your opponent back, thus tiring him, than to lob short and give him confidence by an easy kill. The value of a lob is mainly one of upsetting your opponent, and its effects are very apparent if you unexpectedly bring off one at the crucial period of a match.

Beach Volleyball by Cade

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:48:00 +0000

So you want to learn how to play beach volleyball? Well the read on.

Do you know what the fastest growing sport in the America is? Beach volleyball! But the rules differ quite a bit from the traditional indoor game.

The net height stays the same for both indoor and beach volleyball. That means is at 8 feet for men and 7'4" for women.

Beach volleyball doesn't have positions like in indoor. You pick a side and you can stay on that side as long as you want.

Most likely you will want to focus on playing one side so that you can master that side. The real positions are whether you are the blocker or the hitter.

You might be a great hitter and an okay setter, and if that's the case you will never get to hit because the other team will serve your partner every time. This is why you have to be good at everything to play beach volleyball.

There is nothing but rally scoring in volleyball now and you go 21. If you reach a third game the score only goes to 15.

Teams will switch sides every 7 points when the score is to 21. In the 3rd game you switch every 5 points.

Learn more on women's beach volleyball and how to increase vert

Improve Your Volleyball Defense - Six Tips to Success by Kevin Smullin

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:47:00 +0000

Great defense in volleyball can be a killer. Now that the game has switched to rally point, great defense can help you put together a long string of points, especially if the other team gets into a tough rotation.

Great defense can demoralize the other team. If they get that feeling that no matter what they send to you is going to come back to them, you have won a huge mental victory that will result in a win. Use these six tips to improve your team defense:

1. Before the serve, take a look at the other team and identify hitters and the setter. If you will take the time to read the other team before the play, you will have an easier time seeing the location of the setter (front row/back row) and where the hitters are. When you know where the hitters are, it becomes a lot easier to read the defense. However, make sure that you are reading the defense instead of predicting the defense. There is a big difference between the two...

2. Watch how the ball was passed and the approaches of the hitters. If the ball was poorly passed, some of their offensive options will be limited. You can use this to your advantage by focusing on only the players that could still hit. Also, look at the hitters and how they are approaching the net. If they are almost done with their approach and the setter is just barely getting the ball, you need to be prepared for a quick attack. It is important to watch both the ball and the hitters.

3. You MUST be able to see the hitter hit the ball. If you cannot see the hitter hitting the ball, you are in the wrong spot. This means you are behind the block, or not in the path of the ball. You should be lined up in the angle away from the block, the line away from the block, or the seam between the blockers. You are not helping your team if you cannot see the hitter hit the ball.

4. Although it is difficult, relax when the hitter hits the ball at you. Most players have the tendency when they are getting bombed on to tighten up their arms to receive the impact of the spike. This is the opposite of what you want to do. If you will relax your arms when passing the ball, the momentum of the ball will push your arms back and help you cushion the hit. This will be the difference of passing it to the setter, or hitting the ball back over the net. To be a great digger, you must relax your arms.

5. Watch the arm swing of the hitter. If you see the hitter slow down their arm swing in mid air, or you see the hitter jump with only one hand up, step up and get prepared for a tip over the block. It is easy to be prepared for the tip if you will watch their arm swing in the air. Most players are not good at disguising the tip.

6. Stay on your toes!!! I am surprised how many players will play defense with all of their body weight on their heels. With their weight on their heels, they cannot move quickly to the ball, or adjust their defensive position. The key to quick movements is to stay on your toes and have your body weight forward.

When your entire team will practice these tips and put them into practice, your team defense will improve almost overnight. This can help you put together that run of points that will help you win the game.

How to Jump Higher by Cade

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Formerly known as jump training, plyometrics are exercises developed to increase your vertical leap. The words plyo and metrics actually stand for measurable increase.

Power is a result of both speed and strength in a muscle and plyometrics link those 2 factors together. The fastest way to increase power in a muscle is through proper plyometrics training.

When you want to move a muscle, your brain sends a chemical reaction to the muscles. Some movements occur without any conscious effort on your part.

Good jumpers stay in contact with the ground for the shortest time possible. When you bend down before jumping you have energy stored in your legs and the more time you are on the ground means more time for that energy to be wasted in the form of heat.

So to teach people how to jump higher you must focus on being in contact with the ground for a shorter period of time. This is why plyometrics exists, to teach muscles a faster reaction time.

A muscle has more energy if it is stretched immediately prior to it contracting. This is why dropping down before you jump will actually cause you to jump higher.

Muscles can be compared to rubber bands to an extent. A stretched rubber band will go farther than a non-stretched rubber band.

Another example of how muscles react to being stretched is the patella tendon. When a doctor taps you just below the knee with a rubber mallet your tendon is stretched which causes a fast reaction of the muscle to contract.

A muscle contracts faster when being stretched first. You can't really change the speed of the stretch reflex with training but you can change the strength of the response, which will cause you to jump higher.

Cade writes about how to jump higher plyometric exercises

Get Ready For The MIVA Volleyball Club 2009 Season Tournaments

noreply@blogger.com (AWSGroup) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:47:00 +0000

The Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association or MIVA is sure to present a round of another banner year competition in 2009. MIVA is a college athletic conference whose members compete in men's volleyball matches. A number of conference schools perform in the men's volleyball at the club level. A number of events are scheduled to take place starting from February 2009, which include the HIC season tournament or Hoosier Illini Classic, Grand Valley State Lake Challenge, Black and Gold Spring Challenge, Titan Invitational and Grand Valley State Laker Season Closer.

Hoosier Illini Classic tournament is one of the largest and regular volleyball tournaments if the season in the Midwest. The tournament will be played between 32 teams at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN from Saturday, 21 February to Sunday, 22 February 2009. This year will be the 8th Annual HIC, with the pool play and challenge round on Saturday and the single elimination playoffs on Sunday.

The Grand Valley State Laker Challenge will be held between 18 volleyball teams at the Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI (Grand Rapids). The volleyball game will start on Sunday 22 February, 2009 at 8am and will be played between separate A and B Divisions. Black and Blue teams from the GVSU Men's Club Volleyball will play in the GVSU Laker Challenge Tournament. GVSU Black, GVSU Blue, MSU White, MSU 3, Sienna Heights, Purdue B, GLCC, Far Out, Western Michigan A and Western Michigan B will participate in the event.

The GVSU Midnight Jam will also take place in February, and will be held on Friday 27 February. This is a very popular event among the college volleyball fans. The participating teams for this event include GVSU Black, GVSU Blue, MSU Green, MSU 3, GLCC, Far Out and Western Michigan A.

Black and Gold Spring Challenge will be a 2 day tournament to be played between 24 teams at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA from Saturday 7 March 2009 to Sunday 8 March 2009. This will be the 1st annual Black and Gold Spring Challenge. Trophies for Bronze, Silver and Gold championship will be given to winners of this 2 day tournament. 5 matches have been guaranteed to be played on Saturday, with the pool play beginning at 8:30 am.

The Titan Invitational volleyball tournament will be hosted by University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI from Saturday 14 February to Sunday 15 February 2009. A total of 24 teams are scheduled to play in the event. This is an annual women's volleyball tournament.

The closer for Grand Valley State Laker Season will take place on Sunday, 22 March 2009 at the Grand Valley State Universirty, Allendale, MI (Grand Rapids). A total of 18 teams will participate in this great event which will start at 8am on Sunday. This event will be the last chance for MIVA's separate A and B Divisions to gear up. GVSU Black, GVSU Blue, Sienna Heights, Western Michigan A, Western Michigan B, GLCC, Far Out and Eastern Michigan B will participate in the event, along with several others. by Peri Witny