University of Beach Volleyball

AVP Huntington Beach Finals Review

2010-06-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday to you!

Buckle up, it time to review and hopefully learn from the AVP Huntington Beach Open!

Well the boys and girls of summer seem to be stepping their play up a little more, and they, like all of us, they have "farther to go"!

Men's Final

Overall Grade - B

Both teams played very well at times, but both teams rarely played their best, at the same time.

There were definitely some entertaining rallies, amazing hustle / effort plays and some aggressive serving by both teams.

Where each of the 3 games fell apart was in the blocking, passing and setting.

I know it's sacrilegious to say that 2 of the most respected blockers in the AVP blocked poorly, but they did - if you compare them to their own standards!

Yes, both Scott and Dalhausser had a few impressive blocks each, BUT they both missed way too many and also 'guessed' too much - thus leaving their partner with no chance at all to dig behind them.

When blocking, there is a fine line between attacking the ball and guessing.

Example - you know you are guessing when this happens: you are supposed to be blocking line and more than once the ball is hit past you down the line. One time is acceptable, 2 times or more is not!

Attack the ball when you block AND don't leave you partner with absolutely no chance to the dig because you didn't block the area of the court that you were supposed to!

Also, far too many bad passes and bad sets off of GOOD serves, but not great serves.

A bad pass off a GREAT serve or a bad set off of a bad pass is acceptable.

When the opponent is serving GREAT, you must not give them any more confidence by poorly passing/shanking their GOOD to AVERAGE serves.

My theory is: if it's a clean ace (you can't touch the ball at all or you barely touch the ball with one arm), it's a GREAT serve.

If you can get 2 arms on the ball and the ball is not easily settable, it's a BAD pass and the serve was average to good.

It's ok to lose; BUT, it's NOT OK to beat yourself!

Women's Final

Overall Grade - C+

Once again, both teams played well but never at the same time - game 1 and 2 were blow outs.

Although Kessy and Ross started out not playing well, it wasn't because of lack of effort or energy. I really appreciated their consistent energy, hustle and attacking nature of the way they played in all 3 games.

Once they got their confidence and rhythm, they also served very well.

Which brings me to this:

What in heck is one of the best diggers in the world doing sharing blocking duties with someone who can block better than she can?

To block or dig well you need some time to get a good 'feel' for the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents. You need to figure out your opponent's rhythm and then how to disrupt it.

If you block every play or you dig every play you will start to get a feel for what the hitter likes to do based on the set they get and their approach.

Only one team that I can remember consistently did very well sharing blocking and digging duties - Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes. They are not the norm, or normal...;>) all the other great teams specialized in their defensive duties by either focusing on digging or blocking.

There's a HUGE difference between capitalizing on the mistakes the other team makes and FORCING the other team to make mistakes.

Misty May-Treanor does not consistently force the other team into hitting errors because of her blocking abilities (yes, she does a good job of blocking the other teams mistakes but she DOESN'T force them)

BUT she is second to none in forcing the other team to make mistakes as a back court digger.

Nicole Brahagh can force the other team to make mistakes as a blocker and even if she doesn't, Misty May-Treanor's defense will!

Between their "strategy" of keeping the other team off balance by switching their blocking and defensive duties every play while also randomly serving either Kessey or Ross...as they say on Twitter, OMG!!!

Their "strategy" did nothing but get themselves off balance and out of rhythm and allowed their opponents to settle down and gain confidence!

I do realize that the commentators where saying in the first game "how brilliant" the keep the other team of balance was, you didn't hear them say that in game 2 or 3 though...

Yes, May-Treanor and Branagh lost at the end because of great serving, BUT great serving comes from confidence and being in rhythm, and they were very much responsible for the confidence and rhythm that Kessy and Ross had.

(And yes I do realize that Kessy and Ross switch off on their blocking and digging responsibilities - and I do strongly believe that they would be a better offensive and defensive team if they specialized.)

And the moral of the story is:

Your offensive and defensive rhythm not only greatly affects your own rhythm; it greatly affects your opponent's offensive and defensive rhythm.

Once again these AVP tournament reviews are not about whether or not a person is a good or bad person - they are about how a team performs in the final and what to learn from what they did.

Until next time

Be Your Very Best!

Dan

U of Beach Volleyball

2010-06-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

Well, I finally was able to watch the 2010 AVP Santa Barbara Open. Thankfully the weather was much better than the Ft Lauderdale Open and so was the play of the athletes!

Since it's been a while - Please remember this is all about how the players played and not what type of human beings they are - one can play poorly and be a fantastic human being or play very well and be a complete jerk!

Women's Final

Overall Grade: C

Not too exciting of a match - although it was nice to see some consistent aggressive defense - meaning players consistently laying out for shots, getting up and at least attempting to attack the ball - there were some really nice digs on hard driven balls.

And...way too many unforced errors; average transition play (what is done when a ball is dug) and please blockers get your hands over and across the net...

Girls, Girls, Girls (and boys!); PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE consistently 1) SET YOUR FEET, 2) JUMP LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS APON IT, AND 3) GET YOUR HANDS ACROSS THE NET.

ATTACK THE BALL when you are blocking!

Lamely jumping up and hoping that the hitter hits the ball into you ISN"T called BLOCKING; it's called wishing!!!

Men's Final

It started off looking VERY promising...

Then focus was lost and so was the hope of a well played final...

Overall Grade: C+

Good News:

The ONLY reason this gets a C+ is because of the blocking of Phil Dalhausser!

The blocking and setting of Mr Dalhausser was wonderful - I guess if you block 10 balls for points, and about 10 more that didn't directly get a point it's more than OK to serve 10 plus balls into the net! ;>)

So what was the problem?

Focus, FOCUS, FOCUS (anyone notice I have to say things in threes - I really have issues, issues, issues!)

OK Focus - what do I mean?

When a ball is dug - the setter MUST do everything they can to create rhythm for the digger/hitter and the hitter must do EVERYTHING possible to attack the ball aggressively BUT NOT 'stupidly'.

The ability to consistently win the transition points is what separates the great teams from the good.

Do you control the dig?

Do you control the set?

Do you control your ego when attacking the transition set?

Getting blocked or hitting out during any play is brutal, but it happens...

Getting blocked, hitting out or making a lame shot after you just dug a ball (when playing at the top AVP level) is ALL about lack of focus.

Also, when you make a mistake, (and you will make a mistake) what do you do the next play? How long does it take for the "bleeding to stop"? Where is your focus?

And, what are you doing in-between plays, games and matches to clear your head but at the same time keep your focus?

There's a BIG difference between 1) clearing your head and 2) thinking about or doing something that actually weakens your game focus.

And the last thought on focus is: When a blocker is 'on', it truly is dumb to try and hit by the blocker - Instead, hit high and off the blockers hands - this will frustrate the blocker and should get them out of their rhythm.

You are not going to hit by the best blocker in the world when he is "on". FOCUS and adjust your game!

In closing - big congratulations to Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers for not only winning the Santa Barbara Open but then traveling around the world and winning 3 FIVB tournaments in a row!

Winning in different time zones and in different countries is not an easy thing at all. The effects of the travel and having your schedule and routines be completely flipped around is extremely demanding on your body and mind and yes...it takes a TON of Focus to overcome that and compete at your very best!

Until next time

Be Your Very Best!

Dan

U of Beach Volleyball

The Timing of Attacking the Ball in Beach Volleyball - Part 3

2010-05-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Last week we discussed the setters responsibilities in the Timing and Rhythm of Attacking the Ball.

The setter basically can make or break the timing of the play BUT the team MUST NOT have an 'indoor mentality' - in beach volleyball the play revolves around the passer / attacker NOT the setter as it does in indoor volleyball.

This is why it is very difficult for indoor players to do consistently well on the beach UNLESS they can wrap their heads around the rhythm and timing of beach volleyball.

OK, let's get back to the hitter / passers responsibility to develop rhythm and timing

Pass the ball to the best possible place for YOU to attack the ball - if you want to hit from the middle of the court, pass to the middle of the court, if you want an outside set, pass to about 6 - 8' (2 m) from the sideline.

Remember, you DO NOT want to be consistently trying to hit a set that is coming from farther than 6 - 8 feet (2 m) away - so pass the ball less than 8 feet (2.5m) away from where YOU want to hit from.

Just passing the ball anywhere and expecting your partner to give you the perfect set in rhythm is not so "smart"... ;>)

OK, so you just made a great pass up to the net, to where YOU wanted the setter to go, you followed your pass and are a couple of steps away from where the set is going - NOW WHAT?

The ball is coming down and you are going up to hit it...

This is key - YOU MUST go up to attack the ball as high as you possibly can, rather than dropping your arm and letting for the ball to come down to you!

You energy and momentum MUST be going up (not forward) that's one of the many reasons why a strong plant and jump off of 2 feet is SO IMPORTANT!

I see this A LOT, especially on: 1) sets that are close to the net and 2) when the hitter wants to make a shot. What happens is that the hitter doesn't go UPWARDS as strong and as high as they can to make contact with the ball: instead, they wait for the ball to come down to them - this totally screws up the rhythm and timing of attacking the ball!

The HIGHEST you can touch (stretch your hitting arm straight up,) when jumping (or standing on the ground) is the goal for where you want to consistently make contact with the ball - you need to start and end with this goal in mind.

You really, really, REALLY need to create the habit of always, always, ALWAYS making contact with the ball as high as you can reach, no matter what you are doing (warm up, practice swings, any and all drills) -

If you don't reach high consistently when you are standing on the ground, I promise that you will hardly ever make solid contact with the ball as high as you can reach when you are jumping!

FYI: What the elbow of your hitting arm does GREATLY effects how high or low you make contact with the ball

Also, the hand of your non hitting arm needs to get as close as possible to exactly the spot where you want to make contact, (what you do with your non hitting arm and hand is very critical in the jump, timing and swing). Your non hitting hand helps you track your target, the ball.

Yes, I realize I'm talking about arm swing and not about timing right now!

Why?

Because until you get used to the mentality AND feeling of making contact with the ball as high as you possibly can touch above your head, knowing when to jump is almost useless!

Your jump is "almost" directly under the ball: if you try to jump too far forward you will hit the ball at least 6 to 12" lower than you could have! 6 to 12" lower is HUGE when it comes to attacking the ball and easily can make the difference between winning and loosing the point!

The stronger you plant and the more aggressively you explode your jump upwards (NOT forward) with the mentality of making contact with the ball as high as you possibly can reach, the better off you will be and the quicker you will develop consistent timing in your attack jump and hitting the ball high.

Three words to remember during the actual swing: REACH and SNAP!

It takes a TON of energy and focus to:

- pass the ball well,

- quickly move into position, and then

- plant and jump like your life depends upon it,

- make contact with the ball as high as you possibly can' and then

- do it again, and

- again!

Be patient with your self, focus on one thing at a time and then keep adding 'pieces to the puzzle'. Quickly evaluate what you did and didn't do every time you attack the ball and keep making adjustments - the greatest players who ever played did this, maybe we should too!

There are many, many physical and mental skills and variables that go into the rhythm and timing of attacking the ball in beach volleyball - this is probably why beach volleyball is such a fantastic game to play and what I believe to be one of the most all encompassing and demanding sports to play at a high level.

And most of the meatballs who try to promote the sport put the vast majority of their focus on the "beach lifestyle and the girls in bikinis" - talk about killing the rhythm and timing of the game! But that's a different story...

Sounds like I need a few more deep slow breaths and another Mediterranean cruise... ;>)

We attempted to describe most of the physical and some of the mental aspects that create an environment for attacking the ball with in rhythm with timing.

If you pass, set and keep the play moving forward, then plant aggressively, jump upwards and attack the ball rather than waiting for it to come to come down to you - you will have the foundation of developing great timing in attacking the ball.

Timing is all about rhythm and feel and really needs to be 'lived rather than read about'

I hope this helped just a little - keep practicing in "baby steps", you'll get it sooner than you think!

Feel free to ask questions or make comments.

Be Your VERY Best!

Dan

U of Beach Volleyball

Part 2 - the Timing of Attacking the Ball in Beach Volleyball

2010-05-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Last week we attempted to describe how to get into the physical rhythm of attacking the ball in beach volleyball.

In short, consistently pass the ball well and you have a 'sporting chance' of getting into rhythm, consistently pass the ball all over the damn place and you don't!

Shocking... but I got a little long-winded and the blog on rhythm and timing turned into a 2 Part blog and now it's going to be a 3 Part blog - Part 3 will be next week!

Let's take a quick left turn and talk about the setter in regards to the rhythm and timing of hitting.

To be a great partner you must communicate very well AND never give up on the play or your partner.

This very much includes during the serve receive! You need to be unquestionably clear as to who is going to pass the ball.

As soon as you know you are not passing the ball you MUST aggressively move to the net in a straight line toward the passers side of the court. (your first step is toward your partners side of the court and also forward toward the net rather than straight in-front of you)

As you are quickly moving to the net and to your partners side of the court, you are also watching the passer because if it isn't a great pass you can adjust to the ball and still do everything possible to make a great set.

If you came from playing indoors, or on grass or play with people who played indoors you will swear on your grandmothers grave that the passer is supposed to pass the ball to the setter in the middle of the court and somewhat close to the net. And you are correct -

IF you are playing indoor volleyball, BUT YOU ARE NOT...

This is about 2 person beach /sand volleyball!

Indoors, the setter is "god"/ the focal point of the team - everything revolves around the setter - everyone goes to work to set up the setter and make the setters life "easier".

THIS IS A VERY KEY POINT: In 2 person beach / sand volleyball - the passer / hitter is "god" - the setter must go to work for the passer / hitter and do EVERYTHING possible to make it easier for the passer / hitter.

If you want, beach / sand volleyball can be played with an indoor mentality, but it won't be played very well and it will have ugly rhythm and timing - sound fun? Heck NO! - and it's even uglier to watch! ;>)

But this is how many, many people try to play it - STOP IT - would it help if I said "please"?

Indoor volleyball is a great game and has its own mentality, strategies, rhythm and timing; IT DOES NOT have the same mentality, strategies, rhythm and timing of beach / sand volleyball - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT get the 2 mixed up!

To set well you need to move your feet like a cat, be willing to literally 'pounce' into position at the last moment, land balanced and then set using your entire body. The weight of your body, as well as your hips and shoulders need to move in the exact direction you want the set to go in - and I mean EXACT direction!!

Like passing, the set goes in the direction of the balanced weight of your body - if your body isn't balanced and the weight and position of your body isn't going in the exact direction you want the set to go in - you will not help your partner with the rhythm and timing of hitting.

Setting is an exact science -

A bad set,
A setter who doesn't know where to go or how to get there,
or a lazy setter

Will pretty much guarantee that the rhythm and timing of attacking the ball will be totally screwed up!

Or, the setter can help give more rhythm to play, or even create rhythm when there really wasn't any because of a bad pass, IF they work their butt off - it's up to you!

In short - the setter must do everything possible to make the play better and help the hitter.

What the setter does or doesn't do is an extremely important part of the rhythm and timing of hitting.

FYI: PLEASE make the play better EVERY time you contact the ball - you are either helping the rhythm of the play or destroying it!

Next Week Part 3 of 'The Timing of Attacking the Ball in Beach Volleyball'

Until then,

Be Your VERY Best!

Dan

U of Beach Volleyball

The Timing of Attacking the Ball in Beach Volleyball - Part 1

2010-05-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hi

On our previous blog post when we evaluated the first AVP final of 2010, I said we would be doing a tournament evaluation for every AVP final shown on ESPN2 / ABC…

I didn’t lie! – (I just haven’t seen the Santa Barbara final yet and won’t be able to until the end of May) – I’m in Europe for the next few weeks with my wife on a Mediterranean cruise celebrating the fact we have survived 30 years of aggravating the heck out of each other / our 30th wedding anniversary! (and our 50th birthdays) ;>)

So we’ll put on hold evaluating the Santa Barbara Open, and for now we will attempt to answer a question we received the other day – the question was about how you know when to time your jump when you are attacking the ball – (spiking or making a shot).

Trying to describe timing is much like “trying to get a haircut over the phone” – it’s not very efficient or effective, but it’s better than trying to evaluate a tournament you haven’t seen! ;>)

Timing really needs to be taught in person or via video training – but the good news is that it can be learned, although it takes a little patience and a lot of incremental steps.

But it’s a good question and something I see many players struggle with – so here goes…

The Timing of Attacking the Ball in Beach Volleyball - Part 1

Timing is all about rhythm, it’s about doing what you need to do to get into rhythm, and even if you are a “white boy” and can’t dance, you can still learn the rhythm and timing of beach volleyball! ;>)

When you are in rhythm, your timing comes naturally.

When you are out of rhythm, it gets very, very ugly, very quickly… (you can understand timing, but not be in rhythm; but if you are in rhythm, the timing will be easy to find)

But before we jump fully into the subject of timing and rhythm, here are a couple of “side dishes” to consider…

1) The goal of hitting/spiking is not to crush the ball downwards, the goal of hitting/spiking is to end the play and win the point! Think about that – there is a time and a place to crush the ball down and a time and a place to do something else…

2) Most players, at all levels of play try to crush the ball when they should be making a shot, and make a shot when they should be crushing the ball. I say this happens because most players play from their ego / from fear, and thus are not in step with the rhythm of the game – but that’s a different level of rhythm than what we are going to discuss today.

OK, let’s jump into the subject of the rhythm and timing of attacking the ball - the physical rhythm of hitting is far more easily controlled than the mental and emotional rhythm – unless of coarse you are a Zen Buddhist monk… ;>)

This is what you physically need to do on a consistent basis to get into the physical rhythm of hitting the ball:

PASS THE *@#*! BALL toward the net and in front of you!!!

The first way you kill the rhythm and timing of your hit is by screwing up the pass.

To have great timing, you first need to be a great passer. The better you pass the serve, the better the physical rhythm and timing of your hitting can be.

It’s really that simple – consistently pass the ball well and you have a chance at consistent rhythm.

Consistently spray your passes / serve-receive all over the court and you have absolutely ZERO chance at having consistent hitting rhythm and timing – PERIOD!

After you pass the ball in front of you and toward the net immediately move toward the net - “basically” follow your pass – you, the ball and your energy need to be moving forward in a controlled yet very aggressive way.

Even if you don’t pass the ball toward the net, the play isn’t over yet and you maybe able to save the “rhythm” of the play – BUT YOU MUST move forward, tell your setter to push the set up to the net and thus attempt to develop some sort of forward moving attacking energy and rhythm to the play.

If the setter doesn’t see and hear you moving forward (tell the setter where you are going / where to set the ball during the play), it makes it even more difficult for the setter to make the play better with their set and thus you can once again help kill the rhythm of the play, especially if you pass the pass too far off the net. So DON’T wait for the setter to get to the ball before you move forward!!

In a 'perfect world' this is how the rhythm of hitting goes: the pass lands about 3' from the net and slightly off center from the passers point of contact, the passer follows the pass quickly so that at the moment the setter is about to make contact with the ball, the hitter is about 2 large steps away from where the ball/set will land – which is about 1 foot away from the net and about 3 – 6 feet away from the setter.

As the ball leaves the setter, the hitter makes a quick adjustment step towards where the ball is going and then a large aggressive plant step under the ball (you hop off one foot forward and land on 2 feet in a balanced squat position with both arms back) and then explode upward and make contact with the ball at the highest point you possibly can reach..

It is key that you are within a few steps of the setter and a few steps from where you hope the set to land – you don’t want to be running forward or sideways chasing the ball, hoping to figure out where it’s going to go.

This is why the location of the pass and then the approach position of the hitter is so VERY important to the rhythm and timing of hitting!

The pass should move the setter close to where the hitter wants to hit from; then all the setter has to do is set the ball toward the net and a few feet from where they are – this is SO much easier than having the setter push the ball all over the place – and as an added bonus there is someone right there to cover your sorry ass if you get blocked! ;>)

Attacking sets that come from 10 to 15 feet away works just fine in indoor 6 person volleyball – IT DOESN’T ON THE BEACH!!!!

Indoors, the passer is rarely also the hitter; the hitters are basically in their approach position before the pass is completed; and there is not any sun, wind or a soft slippery surface to jump off of – it’s a completely different approach, timing and rhythm.

PLEASE TRUST ME ON THIS ONE!

You will never EVER get into any rhythm and thus never be able to develop the timing needed to consistently attack the ball as high as you possibly can, UNLESS you learn to consistently pass the ball up toward the net and in front of you and then immediately move toward the net to get into your final attack approach!

Most everyone wants to be a great hitter (have great rhythm and timing) but most everyone forgets that they need to consistently be a great passer first.

So what about the setter? My theory is, the better you are at passing the serve; the more skilled the setters will be who will want to play with you. So focus on you becoming a better passer first and your setter in "white shining armor will show up! ;>)

I must admit, I’m a beach volleyball rhythm snob – I won’t play a competitive game unless I’m pretty damn sure that the person I am playing with can pass consistently and set consistently – it is absolutely no fun at all chasing passes that I have no clue as to where they are going and even less fun to break my back chasing a set after I worked my butt off to give my partner a good pass. I’d be better off trying to chase a balloon in the wind!

No rhythm, no timing, no fun!

Yes, I do feel somewhat passionate about this and my doctor says I should close my eyes and take a few slow deep breaths of this beautiful Mediterranean sea air…;>)

Next week, The Timing of Attacking the Ball in Beach Volleyball - Part 2

Let us know what you think.

Be Your VERY Best!

Dan

U of Beach Volleyball

2010-04-23T08:07:00.001-07:00

Sloppy Weather Doesn’t Have to Equal Sloppy Play!

Hi – we’re going to try something new here at U of Beach Volleyball and give you some opinions about each of the AVP tournaments we see on ESPN2 or ABC this season –

FYI: In this and in further tournament reviews I’ll do my best not to talk about players by name unless they do something very well – no need to throw anyone directly under the bus!

And please remember this has everything to do with how the players played and NOTHING to do with if they are decent human beings. (please remember there can be a huge difference between the 2!)

Here goes: The AVP Ft Lauderdale Women’s Beach Volleyball Final on ESPN2:

First the Overall Grade ranked on a scale from: A+ to F (Excellent to Fail)

Then the Good News - this won’t take long ;>)

Then the Bad News – (pack a lunch, this may take a while…)

And finally, What to Learn.

Overall Grade: D – the only reason it didn’t get an F is because the weather started out bad and got much worse. See, I can be rational and grade on a curve… ;>)

Good News:

The Pro Beach Volleyball season has begun!
It’s easy to find on TV and it’s in HD – awesome!
Mike Dodd is the new Commissioner – we wish him all the best!
There was some good serves
There were a few decent digs
There were many well placed / smart shots – mostly by Nicole Branagh
The wind was taken advantage of by both teams
The commentators talked about how great of an athlete pro beach volleyball players are

Bad News:

The commentators talked about how great of an athlete pro beach volleyball players are! – because the players did not live up to it by playing very poorly for the most part.

Very windy and significant rain – not what one would expect of Florida in mid April but it happened – it’s up to the players to focus more and play harder instead of letting the elements dictate the level of their play – they didn’t…

There was:
An unholy amount of unforced errors – the amount of shots that were hit into the net was pitiful – just because it’s windy and raining doesn’t mean you can’t attack the ball above the net!

Below average setting – the sets were very “safe” and too low – USE YOUR DAMN LEGS when you set!!!! (Yes, when it’s windy and raining the sets and passes need to be lower – but give your hitter something to swing at – please?)

WAY Below average hitting – it was rare to see any of the players give everything they had to attack the ball as high above the net as they possibly could – sad…

Horrible foot movement – the sand was wet, but it wasn’t concrete and the girls weren’t wearing hiking boots!

Consistently weak attack approach and jump – that’s mental and there is no excuse.

Painful Blocking – Get your filthy hands across the net! – there is absolutely no reason for a professional athlete not to get their elbows across the net if you are 6’ or taller and playing on a 7’4” net – get your feet in position, get your butt down and JUMP! Your hands are above the net when you are just standing and reaching up – come-on girls!!!!

There are only 12 AVP events this year, for the good of the sport, no one can afford to ease there way into the season and not play at the top of their game.

What to Learn

I need more Anger Management classes….:>)
I should take a few deep breathes and think of my “happy place”

Ok enough about my obvious issues – what can you learn from the sloppy play in the sloppy weather?

If you are going to play in a tournament, play to win, rather than not to not make mistakes – even if it’s the first tournament of the year and the weather sucks!

Practice in bad weather so you are prepared for it.

When the weather is bad that means you need to focus even more, be even more exact with your foot movement and ball placement and play even more intensely.

Get the weather to work for you because you are working so hard and smart – DON’T be a ‘victim’ of the weather!

Pass the ball low and to the net; and set the ball almost straight up and down - rather than pushing the set out at all – but give your hitter a sporting chance to attack the ball as best they can.

Serve very aggressively, using the wind to your advantage.

Communicate with your partner A LOT before and during the play – make sure they are seeing what you are seeing and visa versa – tell each other what is working for you and what is not – communicate, communicate, and communicate some more!

Looking cool, pretty and sexy should not the goal of Pro Beach Volleyball; playing the very best you possibly can no matter how you feel or what the conditions are SHOULD be the goal for a professional.

Do what ever it takes - play ugly, get sandy, it doesn’t matter what you have to do, BUT give it EVERYTHING you got, EVERY PLAY – you have lots of time to look pretty after the match!

I am looking forward to the next AVP event – I hope you are too!

Be Your VERY Best!
U of Beach Volleyball

Beach Volleyball Season is Just Around the Corner

2010-03-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hi

Hope you have been doing very well!

The time has changed which means beach volleyball season is just around the corner - now that's good news! Day Light Savings Time is awsome!

Sorry for not posting anything new for the past month or so, I needed to focus on getting a bunch of work done on remodeling our house - now that the exterior walls have been removed and new windows put in, even though all you can see is the wood framing, it's a big improvement on what was there before - I swear we lived in the ugliest house in the neighborhood!

Anyways...I hope you've had the chance to watch the 10 part video series, "The Common Errors that Coaches Coach and Players Practice" a couple of times.

Although no Academy Awards will be handed out for the series... I don't mind patting ourselves on the back by saying there is a lot of very valuable information in each video.

So far the video that we have received the most response from is Video #10 "Human Being Errors" - seems like there might be a few other players out there who are tired of bad attitudes and less than human behavior on the court...

Since almost everyone wants to be a better hitter - please remember:

Be a better passer / bumper first

Pass the ball up to the net and almost straight in front of you

Learn and perfect a quick, short explosive balanced plant and plant jump.

Being a great hitter is about doing these things first - the best arm swing in the world is almost worthless if you don't pass the ball consistently well and have a consistent explosive plant and jump.

We are all going to make mistakes every time we play, but there is no reason to practice the mistakes during warm-ups or when doing drills.

Let us know how we can help you be your very best!

Happy Sunday!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best!
University of Beach Volleyball

The Common Errors in Beach Volleyball

2010-02-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

Well it's done!

For those of you who like to read and see information...

Go to our web site for the written description of each of the beach volleyball errors that are in the 10 part video series called:

"The Common Errors that Coaches Coach and Players Practice"

(We also have all the videos from YouTube on our site as well.)

I hope you are 'training smart' for the up coming season.

Make sure you send us your questions and comments so we can help you 'be your VERY best!'

Happy Monday!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best!

U of Beach Volleyball

How To "Mess With" a Blockers Head in Beach Volleyball

2010-02-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

We received a question about strategies to get the blocker to move or not allow them to get properly set up...you may not like our answer!

The short and probably best answer for all of us is: become a better passer and hitter, forget about the blocker!

If you pass the ball up to the net and almost straight in front of you consistently you will get a more consistent set.

If you have a strong, balanced explosive plant jump, jump straight up (and not forward) and attack the ball as high above your head as you can, you are definitely moving in the right direction!

If you listen to your partners shot call, approach and jump as you do when spiking AND contact the ball as high as you can reach, this also messes with a blockers head.

If you don’t ‘freak out’ if the set is too tight or too far off the net, and don’t give away points by swinging down into the blocker or into the net, once again, the blocker is going to feel a little lonely and useless!

If you keep your ego OFF the beach and DON’T try to spike the ball ‘straight down’ but instead hit the ball very hard at the back lines from as high as you can reach – you will frustrate the heck out of the blocker and they will not like you at all!

The more you focus on the blocker and digger the less effective you become BUT…

The more you focus on your passing, your approach and focus on attacking the ball the more effective you will be.

I have never been a fan of “gimmick” type plays (back sets, shoot sets, etc) – once you get to a certain level of competition, the gimmick plays fall apart, so I greatly prefer perfecting your own physical and mental skills of attacking the ball.

(Lower quicker sets when the blocker is out of position / late during a transition play is really the only ‘extra’ that is needed)

Gimmick / gadget plays can work against lesser competition – 2 things about that:
- If you are better than the other team, why do you need a gimmick play?
- Learn to play against better competition, stop worrying about winning or loosing and focus on becoming the very best you can be!

A good hitter almost always has the advantage over a good blocker.

And, a great blocker almost always has the advantage over a good hitter, (gimmicks plays or not, a great blocker will figure out the hitter and setter) - so become a great hitter!

Trying to consistently hit down and around big blockers is way too risky for most unless you truly have a lightening quick arm swing, and not just think you do…

Running gimmick / gadget plays only works occasionally; it can sometimes help you get out of a ‘funk’ during a tournament. But if you rely on gadget plays and you are not playing in a competitive tournament, all it means is that you have very poor beach etiquette and aren't putting in any time into quality training, So Stop It and get better!

The moment I see a team running gadget plays in a tournament, I know they are in some kind of physical or mental trouble, they know they can’t win ‘straight up’ and hope to rely more on luck than skill to win.

I highly recommend that you focus on YOUR OWN skills and abilities - learn to consistently attack the ball’ high and hard’ - use the blocker to your advantage – when in doubt, a high hard hit off the blockers hands should keep you in business for a long, long time!

All the VERY BEST to YOU!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best!
University of Beach Volleyball

Beach Volleyball - The Common Errors that Coaches Coach and Players Practice

2010-01-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday!

Hi - Just a quick update on the 10 part video series The Common Errors that Coaches Coach and Players Practice.

We posted 3 more videos on YouTube, so now 6 out of the 10 are posted.

To Recap:

Video #1 - Swinging Errors
Video #2 - Swinging Errors - Part ll
Video #3 - Approach Errors
Video #4 - Passing & Setting Errors
Video #5 - Passing & Setting Errors - Part ll
Video #6 - Setting Errors

I have a favor to ask of you - If you like or don't like the videos, please leave a comment and also give them a rating - by you doing this it helps our Google ranking, which in turn helps more people find our information - Thanks!

We have 4 more videos to edit, hopefully we will have them up on YouTube by the end of the weekend - I'll let you know when they are completed.

Please remember that this series of videos is about WHAT TO COACH or PRACTICE.

Even though we all make errors, DO NOT unknowingly coach or, practice mistakes, PLEASE!

What you coach or practice will become a habit, so coach or practice DOING IT RIGHT!

Let us know if you would like us to help you learn HOW to 'Do It Right' and be your very best!

All the VERY BEST TO YOU!

Dan

Be Your Very Best!
U of Beach Volleyball

'The Common Errors that Coaches Coach and Players Practice" in Beach Volleyball

2010-01-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hi!

Happy New Year!

We finally got our "stuff" together and have edited and posted 3 of the videos we promised to give you during the Christmas Holiday season.

Sorry for the delay!

It turns out that the video series on 'The Common Errors that Coaches Coach and Players Practice" will be 10 videos long, with a total of over 30 specific training segments.

We hope you enjoy the first 3 videos which cover the common errors in the arm swing and the hitting approach.

Please remember that this series of videos is about WHAT TO COACH or PRACTICE.

Even though we all make errors, DO NOT unknowingly coach or, practice mistakes, PLEASE!

What you coach or practice will become a habit, so coach or practice DOING IT RIGHT!

Let us know if you would like us to help you learn HOW to 'Do It Right' and be your very best!

Here is the link to the first 3 videos:

The Common Errors that Coaches Coach and Players Practice

All the VERY BEST TO YOU!

Dan

U of Beach Volleyball

Give Others a Reason to be Thankful in Less than 2 minutes!

2009-11-25T22:11:00.000-08:00

Hi and a BIG Happy Thanksgiving!

I do believe Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year - nothing against Christmas, but Thanksgiving is a little more relaxed.

I know some of you don't live in the US - I hope you are thankful for whereever you live - (I have to admit it isn't too difficult to be thankful when you live near the beaches in Southern California - it should be around 75 degrees today!)

I'm sure if you're anything like me, your life isn't perfect, but in comparison to many others, even on a bad day, you're doing OK - and even when we're 'just OK' let's remember to be thankful!

There are a lot of people out there who can use a helping hand, who truly need a reason to be thankful - we found one of many great ways to do this.

Go to The Hunger Site and click the link and a bowl of food will be donated to people who need food. This will not even cost you a penny!

On the same page, at the top, there is also an Animal Rescue link, a help save the Rainforest's Link, a Cure for Breast Cancer Link and a couple of others. Just by clicking the links you will donate to any or all of these worth while causes and it will take you less than 2 minutes a day to do this!

It couldn't be easier and they will even send you a reminder every day to visit the site and click the links.

I hope you all take the time to join us on a daily basis to help others in need, it will sure help give them a reason to be thankful and maybe it will help remind you and me to be thankful - just maybe!

Here's the link again - The Hunger Site

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best!

University of Beach Volleyball

How to train for Beach Volleyball

2009-10-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

So it’s the off season and you want to train for next summer – what to do?

Back in the day…sport specific weight lifting / exercises were seldom seen. Basically football players and body builders lifted weights and no one else did!

When lifting weights became more popular, everyone went to the experts in the area – the weight lifters to find out what to do. They did this because football players were too dumb to explain what they were doing! ;>) The problem is they went to get advice from the weight lifters and weight lifters are NOT training to be beach volleyball players.

In the past 10-15 years or so, more and more people are attempting to train specifically for the sport that they play – which I think is great and very much needed.

Beach volleyball is not indoor volleyball, beach volleyball is not basketball, football or track and it isn’t power lifting either…if you don’t train specifically for beach volleyball you may get in better shape but it will only minimally help your beach volleyball game, and in most cases hurt your physical performance - and therefore you will waste a lot of your off-season training time.

(NOTE: intense weight training of any kind will definitely help you become more mentally tough BUT may very well keep you from being your very best physically. AND if I had to choose, being mentally tough is far more important than having an eight pack and a 40” vertical)

But why not be both physically in fantastic beach volleyball condition and be mentally tough – cause that’s how we like to roll at the U of Beach V Ball…

Most of the exercises for beach volleyball I see on YouTube or see coaches on the beach instructing their students to perform may be great exercises, BUT really, really suck big time when it comes to becoming a stronger, faster, smarter beach volleyball player – was that a politically correct way to state a strong opinion? ;>)

Trainers and coaches are bringing great exercises FROM OTHER SPORTS to the beach and not modifying them to the specifics of the beach game, so all you are left with is a great work out that doesn’t help you be the best beach volleyball player you can be.

So how do you train specifically for beach volleyball?

Each play in beach volleyball takes about 5 to 15 seconds of explosive movements which include starts and stops, the use your entire body and demand balance. Then you get about 15-20 seconds of rest and then you do it again and again and again.

Think about that – and then as much as you possibly can - as a 'general rule of thumb' you want to do exercises that take 5 to 15 seconds that include multiple muscle groups and body parts, balance and starts and stops.

It’s not so much the exercises you do; it’s HOW you perform the exercises.

I’m not going to go into all the exercises and training techniques you can do in this blog but I do want you to start to think about how much your off-season training is helping you become your very best.

Here are just a couple of things NOT to do 95% of the time you are training:

- Anything that takes longer than about 15 seconds to complete – this includes running, stationary bike, stair steppers, etc, etc.

- Resting for longer than 20 seconds between exercises/sets

There's a ton more of info but that's for another time on a different day.

Let me know what you think

All the best to YOU!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best!
http://ubeachvball.com/

Who Wants It More? How to Play Beach Volleyball

2009-10-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

What wins?

Talent?
Strength?
Power?
Intelligence?
Experience?

Well, if the opponents are even close to being in the same ‘league’ / within 20-30 % of the same skill level – I’ll bet the farm on the team the wants it more, the team that is more passionate from start to finish.

What is enthusiasm?

Well, without getting into the Greek origins of the word - a good practical definition of enthusiasm is that it's all about your spirit - the spirit you allow yourself to play the game with

Now hold on – I’m not saying that an average amateur team is going to beat the Gold medalists, (Dalhauser and Rogers) just because they are more passionate – in sports David rarely if ever defeats Goliath…

BUT

I am saying that the top teams in the world WILL beat Dalhausser and Rogers IF:
Dalhausser and Rogers are not enthusiastic about playing
and
their opponents ‘want it more’ for the entire match, no matter what the score is.

If you don’t believe me, watch the AVP men’s finals this year and pay attention to both teams body language and facial expressions – the team that wins each tournamnet not only made fewer physical and mental mistakes but they want it more, they want to win more and they allow their spirit to come through.

Coincidence – I highly doubt it and so should you!

When the skill level is somewhat evenly matched - sustained desire, passion, enthusiasm WINS!

So when you practice, not only do you want to practice your physical skills and techniques, you also must practice your emotional / mental state.

Some say that you can’t manufacture enthusiasm – yes and no – you can’t force it but you most certainly can practice being genuinely enthusiastic – enthusiasm is deeper than surface emotions, it’s bigger than how you feel due to circumstances – enthusiasm is much deeper, it comes from your “soul” – it’s part of who you are.

The enthusiasm is there, sometimes you have to look a little harder than others, but it’s there, trust me, it’s there.

You can learn how to allow your innate enthusiasm to consistently show up no matter how you feel, no matter what the circumstances – but like everything else, it takes practice, it takes trial and error.

And the very cool thing about enthusiasm is, even if the score says you lost, you still won on a whole lot of other levels - ok, ok i won't go all Zen on you, but it's true...

All the VERY best to YOU!

Dan

Be Your Very Best!

U of Beach Volleyball
For some great FREE training videos, click here.

Defensive Positioning for Beach Volleyball

2009-09-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Defensive Positioning

We get a bunch of questions about defensive positioning and trust me , there’s a good chance that you are not going to like the answer very much – it might even make you mad - sorry! (but really THAT sorry!)

In the Indoor game, everyone has their area on the floor that gets slightly adjusted depending on the play - on the beach, you have to make little or very big adjustments to your positioning all the time.

Indoors you get yelled at for not being on your “spot” - on the beach your 'spot' depends on many variables –

- Wind,
- Set location,
- Strengths and weaknesses of the hitter,
- Your strengths and weaknesses as a defensive player,
- Your partners strengths and weaknesses
- What side of the court you are playing compared to the hitter

And, if you're not in the “right” position, just like in the indoor game, there’s a good chance someone is going to yell at you – most likely your partner! ;>)

The most important variable that determines your positioning is the hitting habits / tendencies of your opponent based on the location of the set – please read that again slowly, this is VERY important – and don’t rush over the location of the set part either!

This means you must pay very close attention to each and every movement your opponents make - the majority of players only have 2 to 3 ‘things’ they can consistently do with a set – so if you are focused in on what they do and when they do ‘it’, you have at least a 30 -50% chance of ‘reading’ the play and being in the best possible position to dig the ball – easier said than done!

So defensive positioning is mostly about your opponent and what’s happening on each specific play – the same set in the same location for 2 different hitters can easily mean 2 completely different defensive positions – probably not the answer that you were looking for!

BUT – this is one of the aspects of beach volleyball that makes it so much fun and such a continual challenge to play - and can motivate you to be your very best!

More on defensive positioning on another day…

All the VERY best to YOU!

Dan
Be Your Very Best!
U of Beach Volleyball

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

Beach Volleyball - Are You a Great Setter?

2009-09-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

To keep the theme of our last training video, we ask the question - "Are You a Great Setter?"

There is way more to setting than ‘a great pair of hands’.

So, What makes a great set?

That depends on your partner’s strengths and weaknesses – it really has very little to do with the quality or location of the pass or dig.

A great passer can make an average setter look good, but a great setter can make an average passer look half way decent.

What is the best location of the set?

Once again, this really depends on your partner’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the weather and what is going on in the specific play – but in general…

If no one were to hit your set,

The ball should land 1.5 to 2.5 feet away from the net,
The ball should land directly in front of the passer (basically on a straight line from where the passer contacted the ball and 1.5 to 2.5 feet from the net);
The height of the set should be a minimum of 5 – 8 feet high.

All these general guidelines are just that, “general” – but they are a great place to start.

What about a shank pass?

I don’t care, and neither should you! – do everything you can to make the play better!

With a shank pass, almost always push the ball close to the net and high – try as hard as possible to make the location of the set as close to what you would do during a free ball play.

It’s tough to do this with your hands when the bad pass is in the back court or off the court, but that’s where having a great bump set is extremely valuable.

To be a great setter you can never take “a play off” and whine, fuss or complain about a bad pass.

To be a great setter you commit yourself to giving your partner what they would call a great set 100% of the time and you don’t make any excuses, no matter how badly the pass was shanked.

To be a great setter you will focus on developing quick feet, perfect body positioning, incredible balance; as well as great touch with your hands or arms.

Being very confident in consistently having your body balanced and feet facing the best possible direction is the biggest factor in making consistently great sets – (although the hands are the “sexy” part, the foundation is in positioning and balance).

I’ve seen too many people develop great hands and forget about their body positioning, including people who coach setting – shame on them!

Not only does poor body positioning lessen the quality of a set; a seldom looked at fact is that unless you have been playing with the same partner for years -

Where you are facing very much consciously and unconsciously influences how your partner approaches the net.

A great setter is someone who consistently performs all the skills and techniques no matter where the pass is, AND their partner completely trusts that they are going to get a good to great set, no matter what.

If you want to become a great setter – we can definitely help you!

All the VERY best to YOU!

Dan

Be Your Very Best!

U of Beach Volleyball

Do You Hate your Beach Volleyball Partner?

2009-08-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Do you HATE your partner?

To me, partners who act like butt holes is the worst thing about the game, in second place is opponents who act like butt holes!

Beach volleyball, like many "individual type" sports just seems to be one of those sports that produces and/or attracts some bad attitudes and/or arrogant insecure people.

The most common type of partner to hate is "The Blamer."

I’ve played with blamers who are very, very good players, and that was challenging at best, but somewhat worth it - maybe???

Playing with blamers that are very much on the same level as you is not worth it, especially in a tournament – (a pick-up game or doing drills every now and again can be ok)

I’ve been a ‘bad attitude’ partner and a ‘mental midget’ - and it does take some specific focus and training to move on from that (I still get pissed at an opponent who is being a total dick!)

BUT – if you HATE your partner, meaning:

You really don’t like the person off the court because they are a jerk most of the time,

When they are on the court, they are a jerk to play with, (and they are not a much better player than you so they don’t make your game better on a skill level)

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE – graciously move on and don’t play with them

Why?

Over time you may see them in a different light ‘off the court’ and find something to like about them – it’s more important to do what you can about respecting people off the court – trying to do this when you are also playing with them is just too difficult most of the time

Beach volleyball is too great of a game to waste on people who don’t even try to ‘get it’.

Yes when you play with partners that you hate it can be a great time to practice your mental skills and ability to focus, but I don’t see any virtue in going out of your way to play with people like that.

Every game and every drill is a great opportunity to work on your mental focus - even if you’re playing with nicest people in the world like say, Mother Teresa or the Dali Lama – it’s a little known fact that Mother Teresa had a wicked jump serve! - ;>)

- First off, Beach Volleyball is a GAME – games are supposed to be fun, challenging and rewarding (although games are not perfect and neither are the people who play them!)

- Next, games are something you DO, they are not who you ARE and clearly the person who is a total jerk on and off the court doesn’t want to see the difference.

WHAT TO DO?

Find someone to play with that loves the game and truly wants to get better as a player and a human being – they don’t even have to be as good as you but they do have to want to give it all they got (no matter what the score) – or at least learn how to do that.

You will have much more fun and improve much quicker.

It’s ok to get emotional and be ‘not so nice’ to your partner or your opponent, it happens (but don’t make a habit of it or think it doesn’t leave a mark on you or those you play with or against) – apologize as soon as you possibly can –and take responsibility for your actions.

AND choose to play with people who are at least willing to do the same, most of the time.

You don’t have too much control as to who you play against in a tournament but you do have control as to who you play with.

I hope this helps a little – feel free to ask questions or make comments. There’s a ton more that can be said about this but it’s a start.

All the very best to you!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best!

UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

The Mental Game - Do You Have it?

2009-08-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

IF you aspire to be or are overly impressed by someone who can hit the ball straight down inside the 10 meter line, the 10 foot line or the 10 inch line during a filming session or warm-ups on YouTube –

there’s a good chance you don’t have it. (the mental game)

As impressive as this is, it means absolutely nothing/zero/zippo when it comes to being the very best beach volleyball player you can be.

95 out of 100 people who can crush the ball straight down in warm-ups don’t have the mental game.

95 out 100 people (probably more) who can crush the ball straight down in YouTube “how to hit” videos will never win a game in the main draw of the AVP or FIVB.

Be impressed, ( I most certainly am with their physical skill!) but don’t want to do what they do – because as soon as you get blocked or hit the ball into the net, you’ll be cryin for your momma, and momma ain’t gonna help you! (because cryin is exactly what they do!)

Why are they cryin? Because the straight down hit is the easiest hit to block, and it's usually (95 out of 100 times) "all they got".

There are very few opportunities to crush the ball straight down and if one or 2 are missed, the 'wheels start to come off the wagon' because their "volleyball identity" comes from their big hit.

When you block them, they loose their confidence VERY, VERY quickly and the rest of their game soon falls apart.

(FYI - so serve players like this often, let them 'bounce' a few balls, congratulate them on their "great hit" while you figure out their habits and then stuff them off the court!)

Be impressed by and desire to have the mental game of:

someone who can tool the block whenever they want,
someone who chooses their shots and hits carefully,
someone who can consistently make the ball explode off the last 3 feet of the court/the back line,
someone who when they get blocked, gets smarter and better.

This person has the mental game... and so can you if you choose your heroes and teachers carefully.

Let us know how we can more specifically help you out.

All the very best to you!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best!

UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

How To Refocus Inbetween Plays

2009-07-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

This blog is in response to a reader who left a comment that we figured that the answer would be of interest to all of you - have a great weekend!

Jason, Thanks for the comment –

The easy answer to your question is this:

1) As soon as the play is over, let out your emotion - good or bad loud or quiet, let it out.
(watch animals after they play hard or chase something and miss, they ALWAYS shake their bodies to let go of that energy/emotion) Now if you want to shake, yell or just let go of a deep breath, do it, but do something physical to help let go of your emotion!

2) Take responsibility for the play - if you came close to making a mistake - say so to yourself and your partner - (God knows how many times i had to say "my bad" to my partners!!!)

3) If you or your partner did anything good during the play - acknowledge that.

4) Decide on a plan for the next play.

5) Look away from the court - at a tree, the ocean, people watching, etc – physically take your focus away from the game, just for a couple of seconds.

6) Get into a relaxed 'ready' position.

7) Focus only on the ball or your assignment and give all you got to just that.

Seven steps to clearing your head…I wish it was that easy!

There’s a ton of emotional variables that you and your partner bring to the table and a lot of different “tricks” – but bottom line it’s a habit that needs to be developed after EVERY play, just like how to pass and how to serve, etc.

I know the consistency of your game will change dramatically as you learn to let go of the play that just happened and allow being your very best for the next play be all you care about.

Let us know how we can more specifically help you out and thanks again for the comment!

All the very best to you!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best

UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

IN-BETWEEN PLAYS

2009-07-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

What happens in-between plays is as important as what happens during the play.

The great teams, the great players rarely make back–to-back mistakes.

Why?

It’s easy to think that these great players rarely make mistakes 2 plays in a row because of their incredible physical skills – but it is their incredible mental skills that allow them to “stop the bleeding” quickly rather than giving up points in bunches.

Although the physical skills are essential, physical skills without mental skills are pretty much worthless as soon as the spiking in warm up is over! (there are a ton of players who can crush the ball in warm-ups but are mentally cryin for their momma as soon as they or their partner make a mistake during the game.)

Not mentally letting go of the last play will cancel out any physical skills you have developed - I promise.

Learning how to let go of the last play - no what the score is, and no matter what happened during the play (good or bad),

CLEARING YOUR HEAD -

And focusing ONLY on what is happening moment by moment during the current play is critical if you want to become your very best.

If you want some help developing your mental skills, let us know, we can help.

Have a great week!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best
UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

New Video on YouTube

2009-07-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hi – hope you are doing great!

We just posted a new evaluation video on YouTube – check it out - we dare you to be brave and leave your comments ;>)

If you like Twitter, you can follow us at http://twitter.com/ubeachvb.

We’ll be getting a Facebook page up soon with some pictures and other stuff.

If you’re in Southern California this weekend, make sure you get to the AVP Manhattan Open –

It’s been many moons since I played in it – I’m sure they don’t miss me cause I pretty much stunk it up every time I played in it – although after a couple of drinks, the way I choose to remember it was that it “always” was my partners fault…well…maybe not!

Have a great week! (and it’s not your partners fault, it’s a team and you agreed to play, didn’t ya?)

Dan

Be Your VERY Best

UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

More about Respect and Beach Volleyball

2009-07-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

For all of you in the USA - Happy 4th! - for all of you who are not - have a great weekend anyway!

Respect – last week we talked about respect, respecting yourself and Michael and Farrah – and thanks to my lovely wife watching every possible TV show on Michael, I can’t get Michael Jackson songs out of my head! – (I think my favorite is ‘Man in the Mirror’ – truly great lyrics and words to live by!)

Today we’ll talk about respecting the game and your opponents –

Here’s a beach volleyball story about respect or lack thereof – I was fortunate enough to be holding court with Sinjin one afternoon at State Beach and next up was a young Kent Steffes –( he must have been a “lowly A or weak AA” player at the time).

As I watched both Kent and his partner warm up I knew right away that we were going to win – not because they didn’t have great athletic skills but because I could tell that they didn’t have a great feel for the beach game…yet!

I was only playing hard enough to stay ahead and win, hell, I was playing with Sinjin Smith and I was no slouch…also there was a small crowd watching and i certainly didn't want to look like i had to try very hard to beat them - it's all about how you look - ya know? ;>)

I remember about half way through the game Sinjin sternly telling me to get my sh*t together and play hard – I did and we beat them soundly. But the game took at least 15-20 minutes longer than it should have because of my immaturity and disrespect of the game, and therefore my opponents.

At that time I was too immature to truly respect the game of beach volleyball, I had a habit of only playing up to my opponents level – and as I result I could compete with the best as well as loose to the ‘not so good’!

If you truly respect the game of beach volleyball, and yourself, when you step on to the court to play, come ready to play - give 100% of what you have to give for that game.

I’m not saying to be a jerk, or to be a poor sport, or to flex your volleyball muscles – I am saying to play with focus and a will not to make any mistakes.

I’m not saying not to have fun, talk to the crowd and laugh at yourself and your partner – I’m saying during a play, play – DON”T screw around.

If you’re playing against a ‘weaker’ team in a ‘serious’ pick-up game– it doesn’t mean you don’t have to bomb jump serves at them or crush every set – but you can decide to serve, pass and set perfectly and to make skillful shots and hits – play a clean game and finish your opponent off quickly and with grace.

In a tournament, if you are up against a weaker team, play with laser focus and finish them off cleanly and quickly – and with grace.

If you do this you just might gain the respect of your opponents and inspire them to get better – rather than just ‘playing’ with them, getting “your big win”, having them lose… BUT THEY WILL think you are a complete butt-hole because you disrespected them and the game!

Create this habit and you will you will be well on your way to being your very best and you will ultimately give everyone a chance at winning - if you respect yourself and the game.

(And, if you're playing against beginners or at a picnic who haven't played volleyball since they were in gym class in high school - relax, fool around - no need to show off.)

FYI – Kent soon went on to become one of the greatest players to ever play, the partner he was playing with that day went on to play many years and earn a living on the AVP… and I soon became a chronically injured ex player – who knows how long you will get to play…enjoy it and respect it!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best
UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

Farrah, Michael and Beach Volleyball

2009-06-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

So what the heck do Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson have to do with beach volleyball?

Respect.

Respect is very different than like.

Respect is very different than fear.

Respect is very different than worshipping or being “star struck”.

Respect is more about being consciously aware; it’s more about acknowledging something or someone.

Respect is more about not under estimating something or someone.

In beach volleyball (and in life!) to be your very best, you don’t have to like your opponent, your partner or even yourself! - but you sure better respect them… and you.

You may not like Farrah or Michael, but I really believe they deserve and earned respect.

The Lakers didn’t like the Celtics and visa versa, Frazier didn’t like Ali and visa versa, etc, etc - but they and many other well known opponents respected each other and therefore gave it their very best when they played each other.

In certain areas of their lives, Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett gave and became their very best, in certain areas, it sure seemed like they didn’t…

It’s easy to gravitate to only things we like / stuff that is easily accessible and comfortable, (which isn’t a bad thing), but in most cases, settling for that alone will create a life of disrespecting what your very best is.

If you want to be your very best in beach volleyball,

Stop disrespecting / under estimating your opponent.

And

Respect your talent and goals by eating quality food all the time even when you are in a rush. FYI - no food is better than bad/fast food
Respect yourself by getting enough rest before you play.
Respect yourself by getting off the couch and truly training.
Respect yourself by no longer hanging around people who will not consistently do something with their talents and goals.
Respect yourself by no longer underestimating what it truly takes to be your very best.

The more you move toward being your very best in all areas of your life, the more you will respect yourself, the more you will respect how you live, the more you will respect the influence of the people you associate with and the more you will respect the world around you…U of Beach Volleyball is here to help you do this!

And, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, we respect the good that you did, may you rest in peace.

Dan

Be Your VERY Best

UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

2009-06-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday!

We are changing a few things around at U Beach VBall – we have got a new super cool web design program that will make posting videos much easier to post and play on the website – ( if you’re in the market for web design programs check out XSitePro – it’s a GREAT system!)

So - When was the last time you heard the term volleyball used by a sports announcer?

Whenever I hear a football or basketball announcer use the term volleyball, I most usually cringe and shake my head –

It seems as though if a ball gets batted/slapped up around in the air, the announcer uses his "incredible talent and knowledge of sports" to say something along the lines of “ they volleyballed the ball… or he hit it like a volleyball…”

Now, if the only exposure the announcer has had to volleyball is playing it with a group of slap happy half 'sauced' relatives on a badminton net at a family picnic – I can forgive him.

BUT – since the AVP is regularly on Network TV, beach volleyball was shown as much or more than any other sport during the Olympics, the US has won Olympic gold metals many times in both the indoor and the beach game – the announcer needs to be slapped up side his head!

So, Mr Announcer, the next a basketball or football gets tipped around like a hot potato, show your intelligence and say, "in beach volleyball, that play would be blown dead because it would be lift or a double contact because it wasn’t a hard driven ball"!

Slapping at and batting around a ball is acceptable if you are in a swimming pool and your name is Gaylord Falker, or you are drinking Pina Coladas poolside in Cabo…but THAT ain’t volleyball!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best

UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

Happy Thursday!

2009-06-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday

Well we finally got enough time to post another evaluation video on YouTube - the combination of too much stuff to do and being computer/technology challenged takes it's toll!

Technology is such a bleeping tease -

It can do almost anything you want, but only if you and everything else involved is speaking the same "language"...and of course that language has nothing to do with swearing at my laptop!

Thank God for the reality of sun, sand and beach volleyball!

Dan

Be Your VERY Best

UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.

April 1

2009-04-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

If you love beach volleyball, you probably have some 'issues' - i should know, i have a TON of issues and i love beach volleyball!

My major issue (re beach volleyball!) is that i love the game... but the attitudes that many players have while they are playing are flat out wrong, embarrassing and...did i say WRONG!

Off the court, most of the players who have bad attitudes are truly decent and fun people - on the court they are less than human - much less!

Why?

Since i used to be one of 'them' (just ask my partners when i first started to play) and am a self appointed human behavior expert... their challenge (and mine) is that they really don't know how to consistently play or how to teach themselves how to consistently play.

(BUT they think they know what to do and are happy to tell you what you should be doing)...

These players are frustrated in a BIG, BIG way and therefore turn into complete ass -h**#s when they attempt to serve, pass, dig, block, set and hit.

All they need to do is learn how to learn how to consistently do the skills that they think they should be able to do. Then the frustration level decreases and "they" actually start functioning as a decent human being on AND off the sand.

What do you think?

Dan

Be Your VERY Best

UBEACHVBALL.COM

For some great FREE training videos, click here.