The goal of the hitting approach is to get your body in the best position to hit the ball - and in volleyball higher is better! There are many body mechanics involved in this movement, but here are just a few pointers that should help increase your vertical if executed correctly.
1. Use the 4-Step Approach:
We teach the 4-Step for a reason. It is more aggressive and allows for more momentum to build before the final plant/jump. The majority of our club is still doing a 3-step approach (which is good to know also as there are times when you have to use the 3-step, i.e. for middles or sometimes in transition). But the 4-Step is more advanced, more aggressive and will likely help increase your vertical. So remember, the 4-step approach for righty’s is right, left, right-left. Keep it smooth and aggressive: each step flows into the next as you gather speed.
*Build up speed. At the camp we discussed that it’s time to graduate from the walk-through approach (step by step) to more of a running approach. Just make sure it’s not too fast where you are out of control (we call this the “herky-jerky”). Also remember the first couple steps should be pretty small then launch into the final plant/jump.
2. Use Your Arms Correctly:
Ask yourself, are you swinging your arms because you know that’s what your supposed to do, or are you really throwing your arms back and up with great force to help propel yourself into the air? Your upper body plays a more important role in your vertical than you might think. And the timing between your steps/armswing is crucial. Here are a couple main things to think about when it comes to your arms:
a. Keep your front-swing down (the front-swing in the 4-step usually comes on your 2nd step) right before the back-swing. Sometimes too high in the front takes away from a good backswing and also throws your timing off. Think small in the front, big in the back.
b. Keep your back-swing long and straight. Bent arms or a choppy/shortened back-swing can take away from a maximum jump. Think of your arms as pendulums and let them swing back in a relaxed state.
c. Throw your arms up hard and fast before/during take-off. Once your arms go all the way back on the back-swing (they should have a natural stopping point), you need to whip them forward and up at the same time you are planting to help propel yourself up. Again, your arms should be straight and swinging close to your body. Throw your arms up forcefully...the faster the better!
3. Get Your Body Into It:
Jumping high is not just about legs and arms. The best jumpers are the ones that have a good forward lean and really use their core to help propel themselves up into the air. So instead of the body position looking like an “I” at take-off, it should look more like a “)” with the chest dropping toward the knees and then using your lower back and abs to pull up at the exact moment the arms and legs are powering up.
4. Get a Good Plant/Gather: Also the Step-Close
The last 2 steps of the approach are the most important. Think of a pinball game...that first ball that you initiate into play requires the player to pull back on the lever, load up the spring, and release. What happens if you don’t pull far enough? The ball doesn’t go very far because it’s lacking spring and momentum. It’s important when you are blocking and hitting that you use your body like a coil/spring...load and punch! Here are a few keys:
a. Think Heel-to-Toe. To get the most spring out of your plant, your steps need to be fluid, one into the next without breaking the momentum. On your last two steps especially, make sure you plant your feet heel to toe to keep the fluidity and gain maximum power.
b. Jump as quickly as possible. Think of bouncing off the ground instead of jumping. The best jumpers are the ones that go from the loaded position to the jump as fast as possible. Make sure you are fluid in transferring your forward momentum up. You don’t want to lose your forward momentum by squatting/leaning too far thus slowing yourself down. Find the happy medium where you get a good compression/lean and still maintain your speed.
c. Begin your jumping action an instant before you contact the ground by pushing your feet through the floor and pulling with your back and arms.
Now it’s time to practice your approach. The best players are the ones that spend extra time practicing their technique. Remember, perfect practice makes perfect, so really focus and make sure you are doing the proper mechanics. If you need to go through a few times in slow motion, that’s fine. Once you get the feel for it, start picking up your speed. Good luck!
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