Blocking
Blocking is a skill that can be difficult to master especially if the focus is a true block
for points. Blocking has turned into a skill that takes knowledge and vision to be
successful. Often when a team is not blocking well it can be blamed on being short
or the good hitters on the other side of the net. There are steps to make your team
more successful in their blocking efficiency.
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Stress vision and reading
Solid scouting
Pressing out not up
Make the steps as easy as possible
Stress Vision and Reading
Just like defensive play the key to blocking is seeing the correct things and reacting
accordingly. The eye progression of the blocker is the same as the back row defense.
If the blocker is reading properly then the steps needed will be happening during
the read and the motion that is the explosive step and jump is limited since the
reading motions has the player moving in the proper direction before the set leaves
the setters hands. Not massive movement that the setter can read and then use
against the defense, but subtle steps that put the blocker in better position to
complete the process. Seeing the location of the pass will allow the blocker to
determine if all three hitters are still in play for the setter. Most setters from high
school down are very readable and predictable. The big right foot step means they
are going outside, parallel steps with a straight body means middle and throwing of
the hips out or not square to the outside means back sets. Seeing these two things
can allow the blocker to move a step or two in the potential direction of the set.
Then picking up the angle of the approach of the hitter will allow for closure of the
block. The art of seeing the right things will improve the potential of a positive
block.
Solid Scouting
Video is your friend. Scouting opposing teams is your friend. If you cannot do either
of these things, watch them hit during warm ups. Most players will warm up by
hitting their favorite shots, their favorite angles, favorite location, and favorite
position on the floor. As a blocker seeing this before a match is extremely valuable.
We once had little information on a team we were about to play but we saw they
had a 6’4” OH. We knew she was their main weapon based on the stats we saw in
the newspaper. In warm ups, she hit straight down and at hard cross. My blockers
told me they wanted to park on her and block that hard cross and leave line open.
My right back agreed to the challenge that faced her that night with open line shots.
The hitter went from her normal 21 kills a night to only 10 in a five set match.
If you are able to scout a team, chart each hitter and where they hit the ball and at
what tempo. The scouting sheet would have 6 courts on the sheet. The jersey
number of the hitters was place one per court on the sheet. Then every hit was
charted with an “X” for any normal attack, a “T” for a tip, “R” for a roll. Also noted
would be if they hit from a location that was not their normal hitting position. At the
end of the match it is revealed who is the main hitters and where they like to hit.
There are computer programs that will do the same thing. Setting up defense with
blockers is now just of matter of taking away the oppositions favorite things to do.
If a team is forced to do something other than they normally do that is a beautiful
thing. Making them uncomfortable in their own offense is a goal.
Pressing Out not Up
Most blockers reach as high as possible to try to block. Good hitters will use the
weak hands and shoulders as a tool to get points. Stressing the need to press with
your shoulders over the net is the best way to occupy the space above the net and
reduce potential of getting tooled by the hitter. Pressing out means the player will
need to work on vertical jump training and shoulder strength. With shoulders
pressing out, the hands become a rudder to direct the ball off of the block.
Start the training of hand position with the shoulders pressed out and having the
“rudders” to block the ball is the zero location, which is the middle of the court. If
you use traditional blocking or swing blocking doesn’t matter. Pressing shoulders
as far over the net as possible will give hitters less of an angle to use against the
defense. Get your blockers on a box and have them get used to that felling of
shoulders press and hands to zero. Hit into the hands while they are stationary to
get the feel. As they begin to feel this aspect then begin to work with a jump from
the floor and eventually steps to the block. Progression training without blowing
out the legs of the blockers will get you the results you are looking for with your
blockers.
Making Easy Steps
Paco Labrodor, the head coach at Wittenburg University, has been highly successful
at his Division III College. He was invited to speak at a coaching clinic where he
detailed the blocking he used in the national championship match at the NCAA
finals. He stated that he knew he had to slow down one great hitter on the opposing
team and he designed a blocking scheme that addressed that need. After listening to
him speak, I began to develop how that could be used at the high school level. After
2 years it became a staple of our defense and we called it “PACO” to honor the man I
got idea from 2 years earlier. How we used it was to determine the opposition’s
best hitter and basically run a double team on her and let the other hitters be one on
one with my other blocker. The idea is that if we can slow down the go to hitter and
force the other hitters to create points we improved our chances. But the beauty of
this idea is that the block is usually consistent and solid since there is no middle
blocker trying to hurry to get to the block. A late middle or an inconsistent middle is
far worse for the defense then the one on one block vs. the second and third best
hitters the PACO defense is designed to do. If a college team in the national finals
can do it and be successful, then a high school team in a league match can do it also.
When you limit steps the potential of error is reduced. Limiting step allows the
defense setting up behind the block to see in advance the potential angles of the
ensuing attack. It slows down the reads of the defense and allows for better
decisions in alignments.
These aspects of blocking will hopefully improve the structure of the block. As
always footwork is key but that is not exclusive to blocking. Good luck in
tournament play and JO tryouts.
Dates for training will be set very soon. Keep checking volleybald.com for updates.