Timing the set

Question
I am a sophomore that is playing on our Varsity team. Mid season now, I've developed some sort of timing issues, and am consistently too early on my hits. Some I can salvage, others I have not. My coach offers me no help, no suggestions, and has now parked me on the bench. Help! (Thanks)

Answer
Good afternoon!

It's great to hear from you!  Welcome to www.allexperts.com.  I think I can help you some!

I'm assuming your an OH or a right side hitter, and thus you hit a high set.  Correct?

For a few paragraphs, let's talk about hitting a high set.  There's nothing much a coach can do to help a player.  (Telling you to 揊ix it herself?is pretty cold.)

But, there IS NO satisfactory sure-and-fast fix that I抳e ever heard in 25 years regarding when to start an approach on a high set.  Again: There is no perfect time to start.  

I've heard coaches say, "Wait until the ball reaches its peak," but I've never witnessed that advice helping anyone.  In addition, I抳e never seen counting to 2 or whatever be of any benefit.   

Why is there no perfect advice as to when to start her spike approach?  Because when to take that first step depends on (a) the height of the set and (b) the location of the set.  So a volleyball player must judge every single set independently.  Just like an outfielder must judge every fly ball independently.

If there are other girls on the team who have learned when to start their high ball spike approach, then they probably didn抰 learn it through a coach's help.

The solution to hitting a high ball:  (a) You just needs to keep on doing it and doing it and doing it, and (b) you need to keep on living, your pulse just needs to keep on beating.  Just like when I was 10 and trying to catch fly balls (which seems impossible to judge where they were going to land), the advice was, 揔eep on trying to catch fly balls and keep on getting older.? Yep, that was the solution. You probably need some "maturity dust" sprinkled on you; but, sorry, it hasn't been invented.

I do have three pieces of advice:  Advice #1:  DON'T BE EARLY!!  If you're early, you're right, some sets you can save, some you can't.  But if you're late, you can do a LOT of stuff:  one-hand tip, two-hand tip, one-hand slamma-jamma (power tip), roll, bump.  So....stop being early.  Just stop it.  Don't do it.  

Advice #2:  Think about some other part of your hitting technique.  For example, if all I do it think about my house plants, I'll probably water them to death.  If all I think about is my daughter at college, I'll probably call/text/visit her so much, she'll move to Russia to get away from me. So, how about thinking of reaching higher with your right arm.  Or how about thinking, "Go up with both hands," or "I will point my feet 45 degree angles toward the sharp cross so that I can hit that way."  

Advice #3:  Why not get someone to post some video of you hitting on YouTude, and let me see you spike a ball. You may have a timing issue.  It may be something worse.  


So, one more time so we realize the blame isn't on you, your coach, or your God:  Will spiking and spiking high balls all day, going to private lessons, and going to camp after camp solve your problem?  Only somewhat.  But those things, along with time, will be the solution (assuming you have the athleticism to do it at all!)  And if you have teammates who are ahead of you, then you may not get much playing time for the rest of the season.  :(  

What else can I do for you?  Would you do one thing for me?  Would you visit me at www.coachhouser.com?  I think you'll LOVE the smiling faces!  Maybe your coach would enjoy a STAR volleyball camp at your school next summer as well.

Coach Houser