If you’re reading this article then you’re probably frustrated because you can’t quite make an impact on defense while in the front row. Many players struggle in this area so don’t be discouraged!
The solution might be as simple as waiting until you hit your growth spurt (I grew 8 inches when I was 16) but if you’re tapped out when it comes to height, keep reading. The best way to block in volleyball if you are short or can’t jump high is to do the following:
- Work on your vertical leap
- Practice swing blocking
- Give soft blocking a try
Let’s take a more detailed look into what you can do to block in volleyball if you are short or can’t jump high!
1. Work on your vertical
First and foremost, the best piece of advice that I can give you (which you probably don’t want to hear) is to work on your vertical. Many great volleyball players have overcome their height limitations with an ability to jump high. It’s not easy and it will take quite some time, but increasing your vertical leap will have an enormous impact on your capabilities on the volleyball court.
Do some research and find a program that works for you. Personally, I recommend the jump manual as it helped me quite a bit but if you’re not looking to spend money there are plenty of free programs that you can find online. I totally realize that this is a long-term fix and you’re probably looking for immediate results, but just imagine the look on the faces of the other team when the “short” player completely blocks their spike straight down to the ground.
Now let’s take a look at what you can do to make an immediate impact while blocking if you are a shorter volleyball player.
2. Swing Block
The first option that you can explore is called a swing block. This is when a player takes an approach to block the ball as opposed to just standing in place and jumping straight up.
Swing blocking is actually quite common in higher levels of play because it allows the blocking team to get to the pin locations quickly and in sync with their teammates. If you have ever watched an experienced volleyball team triple block on either side of the court, it’s likely that they used this technique.
So how do you swing block?
For the sake of this explanation, we are going to assume that you are attempting to block the opposing team’s outside hitter. This would mean that if you are looking at the volleyball net, you would be making an approach from left to right.
Step 1 – Be in your base defense position
This is pretty self explanatory. You want to start in your base defense position but give yourself a little extra room to work with since you will be doing a three step approach. The size of your steps doesn’t really matter because the main goal here (for shorter players looking to block) is just to get some momentum to bring you into the air.
Step 2 – Take a “large” step to the right with your right foot
The first step that you take will be a “large” step with your right foot. Large is in quotations because you don’t want to go too far and jump past the block. The key here is to make the first two steps the same distance and the last step a bit smaller so you can close the block.
As you do this, throw your arms back (similar to how you would during your hitting approach).
Step 3 – Follow that with a step with your left foot
As mentioned above, your second step should be about the same distance as your first step. It’s extremely important that you space this correctly because it should be setting you up to be directly in front of the opposing team’s hitter.
Step 4 – Take your final step with your right foot
Take your last step with your right foot. As you do so, turn your hips to face the net and “close the block”. This means that your right foot is setting the edge for where your right hand will block the opposing team’s hitter.
For example, if you are blocking the line shot then you want to make sure that your right hand is just inside the antenna. At this point, you should be facing the blocker as you get ready to jump.
Step 5 – Arm Swing
The arm swing usually occurs at the same time as your final step. As you are taking your last step, turn your body towards the net and shoot your arms forward.
Naturally, you will begin to bend at the elbow as your arms shoot forward. Allow this to happen because it will prevent you from hitting the bottom of the net on your way up.
The arm swing is probably the most important part of the swing block. This is where you will be generating the momentum that will propel you into the air and give you a few extra inches on your block.
Step 6 – Explode Up
Explode up with the momentum that you have generated from your arm swing. Seeing as you want to get as much height as possible, I would advise going straight up rather than penetrating over the net.
The reason that I would suggest going straight up is because this will enable you to get more touches on the volleyball therefore slowing down the speed of the spike. Since you are shorter or can’t jump as high, the main goal here is to help out the defense behind you!
3. Soft Block
If you find that swing blocking it’s still not helping you get any touches on the volleyball, my last suggestion would be to give soft blocking a try. Soft blocking is a great way to keep the ball in play and help your defense by slowing the attack down.
Essentially, a soft block isn’t really a block at all. Instead, it is more of a way to disrupt the opposing spike by getting your hands in the path of the ball.
The best way to perform a solid soft block is to start by doing what you would normally do when going up for a block. Utilize the blocking technique that you were taught but instead of reaching forward over the net, reach high and back so you can get in the way of where the ball is traveling.
As long as the spike is traveling on a downward path, you should be able to get in the way and deflect a few balls to make it easier for defense behind you. The key to a good soft block is really in your ability to read the opposing hitter. Do you best to watch their shoulders in order to guess where the volleyball is going to go.
Conclusion
So there you have it. These are the best ways to block in volleyball if you are short or can’t jump high. Swing blocking and soft blocking are great techniques to use if you need an immediate solution but don’t shy away from working on your vertical. Increasing your vertical leap is a long term fix but it will drastically impact all areas of your game for the better!
Now get out there and use what you learned. Don’t forget to subscribe and comment below if you have any other questions!