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

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