Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Five Proven Ways to Improve Your Volleyball Spike


Knowing the correct way to make a volleyball spike effectively is a necessary skill for volleyball players. This is not an ability with which one is born, but with training it can be taught to all the players.
Making a proper approach is the beginning of a great spike. It starts with a position three or four strides from the net, approximately 10' from the line. A two or three step approach (whichever style the player prefers) takes the player through the entire motion, including the reach over and follow through. Beginning players, especially, should include air spikes as part of their everyday warm ups. Their body develops muscle memory, feeling the proper execution of the approach, and the player experiences greater success.
Great spikers have a fearless attitude, confident in their ability to hit against any block (even a two-person block.) Each volleyball spike affords options that are effective against even this defense. The player must believe she can spike past any block. She needs to realize that as the hitter she has the advantage. The spiker can look for holes between the middle blocker and outside blocker in front of her. Then aim the spike exactly between the two defensive blockers.
Each player on the team can help to guide the spiker. Remember that no one plays alone. Between plays, the spiker can ask back row players to tell her when the middle blocker is late in closing. The back row has the perfect view to see what's happening in the front row of the opposing team. An effective team helps the spiker by calling out what the other team is doing, right or wrong.
A really great spiker can swipe the ball off the blocker's arm. This means using the other player's block against them, not always hitting past the block. With practice the volleyball spiker can learn to swipe the ball off the hands of the outside blocker. Such a skill makes players into point-producing spikers. The spiking player aims for the outside blocker's outside arm; seeing that arm as her target and aims for it. Then she must hit the ball hard enough that it "rolls" off the defensive player's arm and lands outside the line. That move makes the defense unable to cover the ball. It adds points, creates side-outs, and keeps the spiker's team in the game. Each spiker gains confidence as a player with the knowledge that she has reliable hitting options. Once again, this skill can be taught to all the players using a variety of confidence-building exercises during training routines.
Players who are tall and/or good jumpers, can make contact very close to the net, without reaching over it. If there aren't any blockers in the way, they can pummel the ball straight down. If some players can't jump that high, they must spike farther away from the net whenever possible. They should still spike the ball forward and down as much as possible. Really good spikers play smart enough to make points in a variety of ways when they attack the ball.
These skills will aid any team to score more points, have more confidence, and win more games through using the volleyball spike to advantage along with all their other skills.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5422068

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