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
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