http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOrURpHKO5A
This is something you can do at home or using the hallway or gym walls at school. The top of a vball net is a little higher than 7'4" and I believe that ideally you would want to clear that somewhere between the crease of your wrist and your elbow, depending on your height and jumping ability.
The goal is not necessarily to jump any higher than this; remember that most balls are going to be hit just above the net, and you want to "catch"/ block that ball with your hands preferably. It is much more important that you can jump quickly, efficiently, move to the correct spot on the net/ line up with the hitters arm path, and that your hands are high to increase the AMOUNT OF TIME your hands clear the net.
This coach cut out hand prints and taped them on the wall at the height he desired them to touch. I would suggest maybe around 7'10" or a little higher.
You should NOT start with your toes to the wall on the floor. Think of the floor/wall line as the middle line under the net. You would never have your toes touching that. You also should have your elbows up and hands starting up higher than your eye level. Arms should not be winged out, rather should be out in front of you with thumbs pointing up and pinkies east and west.
Jump without bringing elbows down to your waist. Again, this is not a vertical jump drill and you are not trying to use a swing of the arms to elevate. It is sufficient to load just your legs and hips and almost "hop" rather than fully jump. Doing this over and over will actually increase your strength and make you "hop" higher with time. Any plyometrics training will also help you.
Touch the wall evenly with both hands (press) and touch your toes evenly to the wall (pike). Press gains control of the ball and pike gains control of your body balance. Land with booty out and knees not knocked together and even on your two feet to protect your knees.
You can vary this wall drill by using different footwork patterns to cover different distances. The length of the net across is about 29'6", and you should be able to move 1/3 of this distance (9 ft) quickly and with ease. Because we have you pinch in for your base blocking spots, you won't have to go this far very often, but it is good to work on different distances between 1 - 9 ft. You should concentrate most of your work on 3 - 5 ft distances - that is what you will see most.
Hope this helps ladies!
another thing to watch on blocking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyt3oImjJbg
This is something you can do at home or using the hallway or gym walls at school. The top of a vball net is a little higher than 7'4" and I believe that ideally you would want to clear that somewhere between the crease of your wrist and your elbow, depending on your height and jumping ability.
The goal is not necessarily to jump any higher than this; remember that most balls are going to be hit just above the net, and you want to "catch"/ block that ball with your hands preferably. It is much more important that you can jump quickly, efficiently, move to the correct spot on the net/ line up with the hitters arm path, and that your hands are high to increase the AMOUNT OF TIME your hands clear the net.
This coach cut out hand prints and taped them on the wall at the height he desired them to touch. I would suggest maybe around 7'10" or a little higher.
You should NOT start with your toes to the wall on the floor. Think of the floor/wall line as the middle line under the net. You would never have your toes touching that. You also should have your elbows up and hands starting up higher than your eye level. Arms should not be winged out, rather should be out in front of you with thumbs pointing up and pinkies east and west.
Jump without bringing elbows down to your waist. Again, this is not a vertical jump drill and you are not trying to use a swing of the arms to elevate. It is sufficient to load just your legs and hips and almost "hop" rather than fully jump. Doing this over and over will actually increase your strength and make you "hop" higher with time. Any plyometrics training will also help you.
Touch the wall evenly with both hands (press) and touch your toes evenly to the wall (pike). Press gains control of the ball and pike gains control of your body balance. Land with booty out and knees not knocked together and even on your two feet to protect your knees.
You can vary this wall drill by using different footwork patterns to cover different distances. The length of the net across is about 29'6", and you should be able to move 1/3 of this distance (9 ft) quickly and with ease. Because we have you pinch in for your base blocking spots, you won't have to go this far very often, but it is good to work on different distances between 1 - 9 ft. You should concentrate most of your work on 3 - 5 ft distances - that is what you will see most.
- Side Step
- Take one step with the foot closest to the hitter and then bring your other foot over so they are once again about shoulder-width apart.
- As you move, keep your hips and shoulders square to the net.
- It may take you more than one side step to get yourself in front of the hitter, but if it takes more than two, think about using a crossover step instead.
If the hitter is within 3-5 feet of you, use a side step to put yourself in position directly in front of her hitting shoulder.
- Crossover Step
- Take one big side step with the leg closest to the hitter.
- Cross your other leg in front of your body while still keeping your shoulders as square to the net as possible. Your hips will momentarily be angled toward the hitter.
- Take one more step with the first leg, squaring your hips with the net once again.
- Plant your feet in front of the hitter and jump straight up (no drifting.)
To cover more ground, use a crossover step. Think of it as a “Step – Cross – Step.”
Hope this helps ladies!
another thing to watch on blocking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyt3oImjJbg
