Reading the Serve

[Guest J Michels]

Looking for a good way to teach getting to the ball quick, reading the serve and spike.

[hollad6636 0]

We have some good drills for working on receiving and setting the ball. Go to our volleyball drills at:

Y-coach.com - Coaching Database

[Juniper1299 0]

This is an aspect of the game that is hard to teach. I think it really comes with experience and time. The players need to remember to look at where the ball is on the opposite side of the net. They need to watch the setter and anticipate wha she is going to do with the ball. Usually they are going to do what is easiest for them if they ar facing left theset will probably be to that side. As for reading the hit, it is important to look at where the hitter's shoulders are facing because 9 times out of 10 that is the direction the ball is going to go. It is all about anticipation.

There is one drill i do with my players. I line 3 up in their back row positions and hit balls to them. The trick is not to look at who you are hitting to. Look at the girl at the left but square your shoulders and hit to the middle or right. It teaches them to concentrate more on your shoulders and less on where it seems that you are going to hit the ball. That is all i can think of for now. Hope it helps!!!

[Bert 0]

Looking for a good way to teach getting to the ball quick, reading the serve and spike.

For reading the serve - two thinks are important:

1. learn the children to look 'truth' the ball

2. it's easier the move with the ball than towards the ball. So don't learn the children to stay close to backline, but let the whole team stay much closer to the net and learn the children then to move backwards.

....... but when I am wrong please say so.

[fmfjohn 0]

Bert,

You should introduce yourself to the forum. I expect we don't have to many other Dutch coaches posting here. (I will get back with you about the videos shortly)

In your response, you suggest that the player should be taught to look "truth" the ball. Can I assume that the translation should be to look "through" the ball? If so, just what or how do you want your players to look? Many coaches would say that (regarding serving) they have their players watch the toss, armswing or (better yet) the direction that the stepping foot points as the player steps forward to hit the ball.

I certainly agree with your suggestion that players play closer instead of deeper in almost all situations. Some coaches are still having problems moving their players closer to the net because their players still prefer to play to many balls with forearm passes instead of overhead passes, which does require them to be deep(er). How are coaches in your area handling this?

I would also be interested in hearing the coaching progressions you use for teaching the game to players as they go from, say, 10 or 12, to 18.

john

[Bert 0]

Bert,

You should introduce yourself to the forum. I expect we don't have to many other Dutch coaches posting here. (I will get back with you about the videos shortly)

In your response, you suggest that the player should be taught to look "truth" the ball. Can I assume that the translation should be to look "through" the ball? If so, just what or how do you want your players to look? Many coaches would say that (regarding serving) they have their players watch the toss, armswing or (better yet) the direction that the stepping foot points as the player steps forward to hit the ball.

I certainly agree with your suggestion that players play closer instead of deeper in almost all situations. Some coaches are still having problems moving their players closer to the net because their players still prefer to play to many balls with forearm passes instead of overhead passes, which does require them to be deep(er). How are coaches in your area handling this?

I would also be interested in hearing the coaching progressions you use for teaching the game to players as they go from, say, 10 or 12, to 18.

john

Yes, I am sorry, I shall introduce my self!

Then about the question about reading the serve, yes I mean throuth the ball.

When I say this to the kids I coach, I say that they must stare, they must see not only the ball, but also the space before and after the ball, like there is something but you can't see the ball. This is what I told the kids. I don't know if you understand me now, but I don't not right now how I could explane is better.......

Bert

[Bert 0]

"I certainly agree with your suggestion that players play closer instead of deeper in almost all situations. Some coaches are still having problems moving their players closer to the net because their players still prefer to play to many balls with forearm passes instead of overhead passes, which does require them to be deep(er). How are coaches in your area handling this?"

I think this is the same in our area. We have coaches who have problems with moving there players closer to the net. In our club all coaches doesn't have problems with moving players closer to the net. I use the follow explanation when the ask me about it:

I say what is more difficult, a overtaking manoeuvre with a car of a two ways road, where the cars can come in front of you or on the highway where all the cars driving in the same direction? They agree that a overtaking manoeuvre on the highway is easier because all the cars drive in the same direction and because of that it's easier to value the velocity of the other car. I hope you understand what I mean.

[Bert 0]

Hello John,

What do you mean by this:

"I would also be interested in hearing the coaching progressions you use for teaching the game to players as they go from, say, 10 or 12, to 18"

I could tell something more about the whole education over here, about the youth plan of the Nevobo (Dutch volleyball federation or the way we do the things in our club.

Bert

[fmfjohn 0]

Bert,

That is exactly what I - and I'm sure many others who read this forum - mean. I would really like to hear the general teaching plan your federation uses to progress up through the age groups. I would guess that this could take many pages to tell it completely, so maybe the highlights of each group would be a good start.

Thanks john

[Yuri Bylichev 0]

Looking for a good way to teach getting to the ball quick, reading the serve and spike.

Greetings to all!!!

The problem is!

It is necessary a lot of work!

It is necessary to build a sequence!

Serve - moving - a stop - processing of a ball!

Throws of a ball - 3ì - 6ì - 9ì! Throws in one point - forward - back, to the right - to the left!

The same sequence, only weak impacts!

Then too but in a jump!

The main thing in each stage to achieve quality of performance, a minimum of mistakes!

To pass only if all it turns out!

Important training of reception should begin with limbering up for reception!

Danger!!! It is impossible to be kneaded in protection if you will work above reception!

[fmfjohn 0]

Yuri,

This discussion is taking on a very international sound. I apologise for not recognizing your accent. What part of Chicago are you from ?

You are absolutly correct, teaching young people the basic techniques of volleyball is hard work. And, as much as we try to make it fun and game-like, it simply takes repititions of contact, in the correct form, to learn to play the game properly, which is sometimes hard to make "fun".

Could you explain a little more about throwing the ball to "3i - 6i - 9i"and what you are trying to achieve in the training progression. I get the impression that after the player can handle the throws, you then use easy serves (weak impacts?)before moving on to harder and harder (jump) serves. But this may be my lack of understanding.

Please continue to reply, I am sure we can all work through the language problems.

john

[Yuri Bylichev 0]

Yuri,

This discussion is taking on a very international sound. I apologise for not recognizing your accent. What part of Chicago are you from ?

You are absolutly correct, teaching young people the basic techniques of volleyball is hard work. And, as much as we try to make it fun and game-like, it simply takes repititions of contact, in the correct form, to learn to play the game properly, which is sometimes hard to make "fun".

Could you explain a little more about throwing the ball to "3i - 6i - 9i"and what you are trying to achieve in the training progression. I get the impression that after the player can handle the throws, you then use easy serves (weak impacts?)before moving on to harder and harder (jump) serves. But this may be my lack of understanding.

Please continue to reply, I am sure we can all work through the language problems.

john

Hello!

Difficulty of dialogue is caused my weak English!

I communicate with you with the help of the machine translation system.

I the trainer from Russia, from city of Ufa. The system of preparation in the different countries is very interesting to me.

I studied systems of America, Italy, Finland much.

There are serious differences in systems of preparation, system of motives and the further career of players and in mentality, culture of the different countries.

You ask, that is 3ì-6ì-9ì is a distance up to net the player throwing(stopping) or serving a ball.

Also it is possible to replace a throw impact of a ball in a floor on the party(side) of giving player.

And the most important - moving and a stop to the rack for processing a ball.

[St_TJanet 0]

Hi All,

What an exciting thread! I love the international help! I am coaching 6th grade (11 & 12) year olds who have never played volleyball. We are from a small parochial school. I have 6 girls on my team and I play up 2 from our fifth grade team at our games. We practice the 5th & 6th grade together since they are learning at the same level.

All of that being said, we had our first game last Saturday & won!!! We went 3 matches to pull it out, but in the end the girls thrived on the pressure. At this level (for us) it is about getting the serve over. However, our girls get so excited that they aren't ready for the ball to come back to them and we lose the point. (We have not moved up to rally scoring.)

I, too, am looking for ways to help the girls "read" the ball coming over the net. I knew this would be an issue from day one, so we always spend a lot of time on drills coming over the net. Right now I allow them to return it over the net on serve, and if it is returned then we work on setting up our hits. Is this a bad habit to get them into? They get so excited/flustered when the ball comes over the net, but seem to be more ready for it during a rally.

Thanks for all the help!

Janet

[fmfjohn 0]

Janet,

This is a really amazing thread, isn't it! Who says you have to go to some expensive clinic to get international participation?

There are lots of reasons why it may be difficult for some young volleyball players to "beat the ball to the spot". For most, its probably a simple matter of not having done it enough. So, like so many other techniques that beginners have to learn, you just have to give them repititions. Something as simple as having them play "catch" over the net from behind the attack line - as long as you have them catch the ball in a low, bump-like posture - can get them working on it. You might also try having them receive serve without the net for awhile, just to increase their confidence. Again, anything that increased their repititons at the skill, done in as game-like situation as they can handle will help them in the long run.

It is always tempting to let your players "ping-pong" the game at lower levels. By that I mean returning every first ball that comes over. At beginning levels it does win games, and that's important. (to some degree or another) But you will quickly find that it is not only a hard habit to break mentally, but also gets them into a passing position that will take a long time to convert to bump, set, crush! If I were you, I would let your players know that while hitting it right back may win a game as beginners, their compitition will not use it for long and if they don't learn to pass the ball up to another of your players to set up a hit, they wont win many down the line.

Once you have established that, the progression of receiving posture facing the incoming ball, angling the platform to get the ball to the target, then getting the ball up in the air high enough to allow another player to get under it to pass it again, gets alot easier. (and since it involves more players, the girls will enjoy it more in the long run)

Well, lets hear what everyone else has to say.

Oh, congradulations on your team's win.

john

[Bert 0]

Hello Janet,

I am not a favorit of 'ping-pong' volleyball. I know that you will win games with it, like John says, at lower levels. In my experience teams who play ping-pong volleyball always makes the first mistakes, the game is getting faster and faster. Besides that when will there be a oppurtunity for a set up and a spike? I think the spike is one or the spectacular technique in volleyball, it's like make a goal in soccer, I always told my kids.

But, the problem you wrote about is a serieus problem. A few years ago, I visit a clinic of John Kessel, here in the Netherlands. Kessel told us that there are good mistakes and bad mistakes. I his words, I think passing the ball direct over the net is a good mistake and when the ball isn't play at all ...... I think that will be a bad mistake.

I think reading the way of the ball over the net can be trained on differented ways. When you read the topic I wrote about the developement plan here in the Netherlands and you look at level 4, you see that on this level we allow the kids to catch the second ball. So the ball over the net must played with p.e. a forearm pass, but the second ball (after this pass) must be catched. The setter throw the ball then in a fluid movement to the spiker and then a kid can spike the third ball over the net. They must always play in three times on level 4. In the next levels, 5 and 6 they also may play in two times or one time of course, but when they can spike, most of the teams try to play in three times.

In Sweden they have, or better Anders Kristianson (coach of the Belgium topclub Maaseik and former headcoach of the nationalteam of Sweden) find a whole new method/game. It's called Volley2000. In this games it's allow the let bounced the ball one time. So when the ball came over the net and the ball isn't easy to pass, it's allowed that the ball first bounced on the floor. When the ball could be passed, a kids can passed the first ball, but then the team could bounced the second ball or the spiker could bounced the third ball. Every moment it gives the kids more time to get under or behinde the ball, to play the ball.

It's a great game to see, but in my opinion (but who am I?) it's not game like to let a ball bounced. Besides that I think that it's will be a whole way of reading the way of the ball when a kid let bounced the first ball or must play the first ball.

On the next link you will find more information about the game Volley2000: www.volleyboll.se/files/ %7BBCD986E2-BFC6-46F9-B905-6FBA779DA56E%7D.pdf. It's in swedish, but ........ you never know.

This is pure my experience and when there are others, with other ideas ........ I like to know it very much!

Bert

.......... by the way, of course congradulations on your team's win. It's always nice to win the first game!

[Bert 0]

Yuri,

This discussion is taking on a very international sound.  I apologise for not recognizing your accent.  What part of Chicago are you from ?

You are absolutly correct, teaching young people the basic techniques of volleyball is hard work.  And, as much as we try to make it fun and game-like, it simply takes repititions of contact, in the correct form, to learn to play the game properly, which is sometimes hard to make "fun".

Could you explain a little more about throwing the ball to "3i - 6i - 9i"and what you are trying to achieve in the training progression.  I get the impression that after the player can handle the throws, you then use easy serves (weak impacts?)before moving on to harder and harder (jump) serves.  But this may be my lack of understanding.

Please continue to reply, I am sure we can all work through the language problems.  

john

Hello!

Difficulty of dialogue is caused my weak English!

I communicate with you with the help of the machine translation system.

I the trainer from Russia, from city of Ufa. The system of preparation in the different countries is very interesting to me.

I studied systems of America, Italy, Finland much.

There are serious differences in systems of preparation, system of motives and the further career of players and in mentality, culture of the different countries.

You ask, that is 3ì-6ì-9ì is a distance up to net the player throwing(stopping) or serving a ball.

Also it is possible to replace a throw impact of a ball in a floor on the party(side) of giving player.

And the most important - moving and a stop to the rack for processing a ball.

Hello Yuri,

I am sure that that there are very much differences in the systems of America, Italy, Finland and maybe Russia.

Could you tell us more about this??? Perhaps in a different new topic?

Thanxxx

Bert

[St_TJanet 0]

John & Bert,

Thank you so much for your replys. I took what you offered to practice Tuesday, and we had one of the best practices we have ever had. The girls were very consistent in getting the ball up and getting second and third hits. They were also very proud of themselves and knew what they were doing was the right way. At our practice on Thursday, they "forgot" what they learned, however, after a couple of reminders they were back to good form.

As for "reading" the ball. I had been standing behind the serving line serving to them, but they get bored or something and start missing the ball. Along with banning them from saying "I can't", I've also had to ban them from saying "I wasn't ready". Therefore, I move around the court and serve the balls or toss the balls from various positions to keep them on their toes and that way they have to "read" from all directions. This has also been helpful in getting them to "move" for the ball. We have a real issue with them standing and watching the ball hit the floor between two of them looking at each other.

What do you think of the practice of calling a teammate's name if they are not going for the ball themselves. If the ball is going to LB and MB knows it's not hers should she be calling LB's name? This has been my most effective way of getting them to communicate, however, my assistant & I disagree on this one.

You keep talking among yourselves & I'll keep learning!

Seriously, THANK YOU for the help!

Janet

[Connie 0]

The thing I would worry about with the players calling out one another's name if they think the ball is the other person's is keeping it done in a positive manner. I could see it becoming a negative thing if some players get frustrated with others and call the name in a disparaging manner.

I have never done that personally, I always tell my teams that they have to trust their teammates to get where they need to be, and always encourage one another. If this is a young team moving will come in time. Hang in there.

Connie

[Bert 0]

The thing I would worry about with the players calling out one another's name if they think the ball is the other person's is keeping it done in a positive manner. I could see it becoming a negative thing if some players get frustrated with others and call the name in a disparaging manner.

I have never done that personally, I always tell my teams that they have to trust their teammates to get where they need to be, and always encourage one another. If this is a young team moving will come in time. Hang in there.

Connie

I never told my kids to call another name when they are not going for the ball them self. Each player must get the balls in their own zone, when a ball is comming between two zone, we have 'the right hand appointment' - so when the ball is comming between position 5 and 6, the player in position 5 get the ball. When they call the ball, they always call 'Mine' and when they call the ball they must get the ball.

Besides that, passing or defending the ball is a team-mission. So in that way I agree with Connie, they must trust on their teammates and always encourage one other to get the ball from the floor.

Bert

[MichiganCoach 0]

Hello All:

I am new to the forum, but I really appreciate all of the advise that is given on here.

To go to the original question on reading the serve. I coach 5th and 6th grade girls, and fully understand this problem. Most players set there waiting for the ball to come to them, then make a last second move on it. We also play in a league that all serves must be returned with a bump, no overhead receiving of the serve.

My daughter is a first year player, and has had a hard time moving to the serve and hitting it. To correct this, through some trial and error, I have found that having the girls stand with their backs to you, then you throw the ball, and on the "go" comand they turn around and find the ball.

I first start out just having them either touch it or catch it. Once they can move to it on a regular basis, I have them start returning the ball with a bump. From there we move to hitting the ball to them over the net, one on one, and having them move to return the serve. This has seemed to be very helpful for the first year players.

It's simple, but it has been effective.

[Bert 0]

My daughter is a first year player, and has had a hard time moving to the serve and hitting it. To correct this, through some trial and error, I have found that having the girls stand with their backs to you, then you throw the ball, and on the "go" comand they turn around and find the ball.

I first start out just having them either touch it or catch it. Once they can move to it on a regular basis, I have them start returning the ball with a bump. From there we move to hitting the ball to them over the net, one on one, and having them move to return the serve. This has seemed to be very helpful for the first year players.

It's simple, but it has been effective.

Hi MichiganCoach,

yes, the exercise you wrote about is a great exercise. I have some others, perhaps these will help too?

1. Let one girl sit on the floor, with her back to you. You throw the ball (par examlpe after you call here name or make another accoustic signal) - she stands up, turn around and search for the ball and catch it.

2. Let one girl lay on the floor - here face in your direction, so she can see you ..... after that it's the same exercise as number 1

Coach | <.......................>

3. The same organisation as by number 2, but now the girl is laying on the floor with here face in the other direction, like this:

Coach | ..........................>

4. Same organisation as exercise 1, but now there are two girls standing, on the other side of the net, with here back to you. One girl on the left part of the court and one on the right part of the court. You serve, after again a accoustic signal. Both girls turn arround, and search for the ball. As soon as possible (when they are good the succeed to do this even before the ball passed the net) the girl who didn't get the ball in here direction is sitting on the floor, the other girl must catch te ball.

These are basic exercises, where it's possible to make all kind a different exercises with. When we look at exercise number 4, it's possible that the girl who didn't get the ball in here direction, sit on de floor, stand up riight away, that the girl who do get the ball in here direction play the ball now with a forearm pass and that the first girl, who was just sitting en stand up, must catch the pass........... ecetera, ecetera

Bert

[fmfjohn 0]

Folks,

Those are some really great drills! I have used the one with them standing with their back to you, and it does get them moving. Wish I had see the other ones before I had club practice this morning.

One other thing that sometimes adds to the problem of reading the ball and moving to it, in addition to the problem of "mine!" vs "yours!" (or someone else's name)((which I wouldn't encourage)) is that the players may not completely understand exactly the limits of their individual area of responsibility for serve receive. Over the past few years, I have begun to use a very "graphic" method to help them with this. I simple tape their areas out on the floor, and let them play with the tape down until they have a good feel for their coverage. I have done this for numerous 5 and 4 player receive patterns, and while it doesn't eliminate the problem all together, it does drastically reduce the time for them to get alot more comfortable with receiving.

I should also add that I am beginning to favor the use of a 4 player receiving pattern, even for beginners. Regardless of the alignment of the players in the pattern, since I teach them to play a "low right, high left" movement pattern in pursuit of balls, my experience has been that they are much more comfortable with those areas than the numerous overlaps in a 5 player "W".

I think I may have mentioned in another thread that I have really begun "encouraging" my players to play more serves with overhead pass, which allows them to play a little deeper, and gives them more comfidence in playing the served ball too.

I haven't seen this much continued interest in a thread here for quite some time.

john

[Bert 0]

Goodmorning everybody,

Over the past few years, I have begun to use a very "graphic" method to help them with this. I simple tape their areas out on the floor, and let them play with the tape down until they have a good feel for their coverage.

Yes, this is really a great method, I have use it my self. Besides this I should think we must practice a lot on ball between the zones, between two players.

I have another sollution or perhaps it's more another questions. When I play my setter is standing on or position 3 ( in the middle) or position 2/3 (between the middle and the right part of court), so when children are passing the ball are most of the times going from left to the right? When we are learning children passing, why shouldn't we learn them, in the first phase of the learning proces the the pass the ball to the left (to position 4) when the serve is going to to lets say position 1, 2 and 6 and that they pass the ball to the right (to position 2) when the serve is going to position 4 and 5. So, there are passing to position 2 when the ball is going to the left part of the court and they are passing to position 4 when the serve is going to right part of the court. When they play like this they never play a pass in an angle, but always straight. This is much earier. When you play with four kids in court, you can play with 4 players in the pass, standig in a half circle, where the setter must run to the net when the ball isn't come his or her direction. So this is even a very dynamic way of playing volleyball. When they play with 6 players in court, you can play par example with 5 passing playing, also in a half circle with a not passing player at position 3. In this game he or she isn;t the setter but on of the spikers.

I must say I have never play it my self, but one of the other editors of our coaches magazine was using this way of playing with his team and I must say ............. they were good! Besides him on that clinic I wrote about, the former headcoach of our national team was also talking about this sollution and I must say I agree with it that straight passing is easier that passing in an angle.

Bert