In this video we review youth high school volleyball blocking and coaching mistakes. The video also brings in good lessons from Kerri Walsh Jennings on blocking and can be used as a tool for coaches to help young players learn to love the game and watch more beach volleyball.
It is important for coaches to understand that blocking has a very low correlation to winning and success as a team. Skill importance should be Serving & Passing, Setting, Spiking In, then Defense and then Blocking. For more details on understanding this see Dr Gill Fellingham study on Using Science to Develop a Team Game Plan and a Volleyball Coaching Philosophy.
This video reviews the 3 stages we teaching blocking in:
Read: Ball – Setter – Ball – Hitter – Hips – Shoulder – Elbow – Wrist
In the video the players eyes are not looking at the correct thing so you misses the block. Also she does not anticipate the ball going to this hitter.This opponent hitting is there best blocker and hitter but she is expecting a middle attack! She should be fronting this hitter and maybe spread left.
Move: The first thing you will notice is the negative step by the hitter.If your players are advanced enough I would teach the Split Step Stretch Shortening Cycle.
Click Here – To See Andor Gyulai and Tom Black discuss the topic!
Another option besides the stretch step may be to teach opening up the players left foot to the antenna so that it opens her hips and makes it easier to move.
Next would be teaching a crossover step vs. a shuffle step so the player jumps higher and covers more area.
Next is the gather. In the example the player moves with their hands up and never really brings their elbows back. We therefore add the video of Kerri Walsh Jennings to illustrate how young players should do this.
Block: Player makes 2 moves.
Not fronting the hitter power.
No penetration.
Also reviewed is Steve Anderson’s video on Blocking vs. Grabbing.
For you coaches looking to work with Andor Gyulai to run a Volleyball1on1 Summer Volleyball Camp Contact him here!
