This is the second part of a two-part series where I explain the
differences in the skills needed to play beach volleyball versus those
used by indoor volleyball players. I also talk about the role
"specialization" plays in both styles of the game.
There
are only two places where there's room for specialization in beach
volleyball and that's on offense where a player can specialize in
playing on a particular side. There are those who label themselves
'left-side" players and those who like to play only on the right side.
It's typical for many players to form teams based on the side their
teammate specializes playing on.
The other place to specialize is on defense where one partner chooses to be the team's designated primary 'blocker' with a partner who agrees to be the defensive player all the time. A perfect example of this would be the American Olympic gold medalist men's and women's beach volleyball teams of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers and Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh.
Of course all four players are versatile enough to play both sides, block in the front court and transition back to either side of the court to play defense. But these elite beach teams made a tactical decision that would increase their team's chances of outsmarting their competition and would place each partner in a position on the court that allows them to perform the skills that they do best.
In defense on their respective teams, the taller players Kerri Walsh and Phil Dalhausser are front row blocking specialists. After they serve receive or while they are in transition their "job" is to be at or go to the net to put up a great wall and to do as much of the blocking on their team as possible, while Misty May Treanor and Todd Rogers are the back row specialists who have the responsibilities of playing behind their teammates, running down any ball or digging any hard spikes that get past their partner's big block.
Typically, although this isn't written in sand (forgive me, I couldn't resist) and versatility is always important, the taller blocker is the left-side hitter and the backrow specialist plays on the right side.
So, in serve receive Kerri and Phil usually play on the left side while Misty and Todd are on the right side of the court.
As the levels of competition improve, players may switch sides in the middle of a game forcing their competition to change their strategy or in order to participate in a particular tournament players will compromise and agree to play on a different side in order to team up with a better player.
In the indoor volleyball game if a player is particularly weak in one skill, then they have five other players they can rely on to help them cover or mask their weaknesses in one way or another. That player can be taken out of the serve receive and re-positioned to stand on the baseline or behind a stronger passer.
Or in the front row instead of blocking the ball against an opposing hitter that may be much taller they can switch positions with a taller teammate and have the teammate block against that hitter instead. (Or the coach may have that shorter player cover the dinks and not block at all.)
On the beach, there's no hiding weak skills, players are forced to learn how to do everything. Initially the learning curve may seem steep for an indoor player moving outdoors, but this transition quickly contributes to the creation of a faster, higher jumping, quicker reacting, all-around stronger, smarter indoor volleyball player.
The other place to specialize is on defense where one partner chooses to be the team's designated primary 'blocker' with a partner who agrees to be the defensive player all the time. A perfect example of this would be the American Olympic gold medalist men's and women's beach volleyball teams of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers and Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh.
Of course all four players are versatile enough to play both sides, block in the front court and transition back to either side of the court to play defense. But these elite beach teams made a tactical decision that would increase their team's chances of outsmarting their competition and would place each partner in a position on the court that allows them to perform the skills that they do best.
In defense on their respective teams, the taller players Kerri Walsh and Phil Dalhausser are front row blocking specialists. After they serve receive or while they are in transition their "job" is to be at or go to the net to put up a great wall and to do as much of the blocking on their team as possible, while Misty May Treanor and Todd Rogers are the back row specialists who have the responsibilities of playing behind their teammates, running down any ball or digging any hard spikes that get past their partner's big block.
Typically, although this isn't written in sand (forgive me, I couldn't resist) and versatility is always important, the taller blocker is the left-side hitter and the backrow specialist plays on the right side.
So, in serve receive Kerri and Phil usually play on the left side while Misty and Todd are on the right side of the court.
As the levels of competition improve, players may switch sides in the middle of a game forcing their competition to change their strategy or in order to participate in a particular tournament players will compromise and agree to play on a different side in order to team up with a better player.
In the indoor volleyball game if a player is particularly weak in one skill, then they have five other players they can rely on to help them cover or mask their weaknesses in one way or another. That player can be taken out of the serve receive and re-positioned to stand on the baseline or behind a stronger passer.
Or in the front row instead of blocking the ball against an opposing hitter that may be much taller they can switch positions with a taller teammate and have the teammate block against that hitter instead. (Or the coach may have that shorter player cover the dinks and not block at all.)
On the beach, there's no hiding weak skills, players are forced to learn how to do everything. Initially the learning curve may seem steep for an indoor player moving outdoors, but this transition quickly contributes to the creation of a faster, higher jumping, quicker reacting, all-around stronger, smarter indoor volleyball player.
No comments:
Post a Comment