I’m a firm believer in the idea of mastering the fundamentals of any sport and volleyball is no different. That’s why I put so much emphasis on PASSING. It’s your first line of defense against your opponent’s serve and if you spray the ball, your team will have to compensate. And when both setter and hitter have to adjust their game, your offense suffers.The goal of competitive sports is to reach the finals and if you want to give your team a chance at reaching their goal, then every player on the team must develop a strong passing technique. So, that’s what we’re going to discuss today!To be a great passer you need to start low. Stagger your feet slightly, bend your knees and get you butt down. I recommend having you arms floating in front of you, elbows bent, just above waist level.If you start with your arms in their receive position you may not be ready to set pass the ball if it comes high, at your chest or head. So, keep your arms half-way between the over-hand set pass position and the platform position.
As with most things, there are multiple techniques when it comes to the proper platform position and I won’t confuse you with them all. Instead, I’ll explain the one I’ve found to be the easiest and most effective.
One mistake I’ve seen with inexperienced players is interlocking your fingers. Unless the ball is miss-hit, or “dinked” you need as much mobility as possible, and interlocking your fingers greatly limits your movement and reaction speed.
Instead of interlocking your fingers, lay the fingers of one hand across the fingers of the other… the choice is yours based upon comfort. Now, close your hands until your thumbs are together, side-by-side. When you extend your arms straight out your platform will have a nice flat surface for the ball to rebound off. (see photo)
Resist the temptation to swing your arms up when making contact with the ball. Whether you are digging a hit or passing a serve, the velocity of the incoming ball will provide enough energy to get it to the setter.
Instead of swinging your arms up to meet the ball, your movement needs to be more of a shoulder shrug, while squeezing your triceps to bring your elbows straight. This will press your arms together and give you a flatter platform. Try to move as little as possible, not jerking or swinging your arms at the ball. This will help control the path of your pass, lofting the ball up to your setter. Keep your arms at a 90° angle to your chest. (see photo above)
When executing a pass off a hard driven hit, make sure you get your butt down low and your arms underneath the ball. This is where the term ‘dig’ came from because you are literally ‘digging’ the ball off the ground.
The higher the loft of your pass, the more time your hitters will have to transition from the net to their approaches. But,
too much loft on the ball and the opponent will read your offense and adjust their block. You’ll have to find a happy medium between the two, minimizing the time the defense has while giving your own hitters the time they need.
Every setter is a little different, so keep a good communication going so you will know where he/she likes the pass. If you work with the same setter all the time this will be much easier, but most teams have several setters, sometimes on the court at the same time. Discover their preferences and work hard to provide the best pass possible.
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