Volleyball-tips Newsletter, Issue 24: Becoming a Better Hitter
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Introduction
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Volleyball-tips.com Weekly Tip Newsletter
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The past few weeks, we`ve talked about the science of jumping higher, and we could talk about that forever, since there`s so much to it. But now, we`ll turn our attention to the science of hitting, itself.
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My Tip of The Week: Becoming A Better Hitter
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The science of hitting has to begin, not with the smacking of the ball, but with the approach to the net. A good, strong approach, putting you into the right position to hit, is imperative to being a good hitter.
So we alway start our players out by simply having them map out their routine. There are several theories about approaching, so you`ll want to consult with your coach about it, but I`ll give you mine.
I teach a two-step approach, beginning with either foot. (I know there will be coaches cringing on this, but it works, and gives the athletes some leeway on developing what works best for them.)
The approach is: "one step, one leap, two-foot landing, gather, jump, hit, two-foot landing."
Simple enough, right? Under that theory, it doesn`t matter which foot a player starts with, since the actual jump is off two feet, anyway.
Practice your own method, or the one recommended by your coach, many times before you actually use a ball in your routine.
Once you`ve got your routine down, and you`re comfortable with it, incorporate a ball into the process. Have someone stand in the setter`s postion and toss a ball as if it was a set. Make your approach, just as if you were going to hit, but instead of hitting, leap high and simply catch the ball. This will make sure you are putting yourself into the proper position to hit as you run under the set. If you`re having to catch the ball at weird angles, you`re not approaching in good hitting position.
Next time, we`ll move to the next step, which still doesn`t involve hitting, yet ... but we`ll get to it. Your mechanics have to be good before you can hit, just like a baseball player, standing at the plate. If he doesn`t have good mechanics, he never scores.
The most popular book I know of concerning plyometrics is Donald Chu`s "Jumping Into Plyometrics." If you`d like a copy of it for your own library, I highly recommend it. Go to www.volleyball-tips.com, and order your copy.
