Volley Technique

Question
Hello,

I been playing volleyball for many years.  I am not a big guy (5'6") and age 38, but they all say I look like 27.  For the past several years I just can't seem to change to the proper spiking, passing, and setting technique.

Dozens and dozens of friends that I play with all said I should be spiking so much harder with the vertical and power that I can generate, but I cannot seem to do.  I play on a A/BB level.  

Below is what I do:

Spiking:
Everyone say when I spike, my hitting hand is near my ears, and that I don't fully extend my arm.  I never see or feel it that way, but that is what they say.  
I don't aways have good contact with the ball. I tend to get only portion of my hand contacted to the ball.
I notice I hit the ball behind my head at times.

Passing:
My passing is not consistant.  Sometimes it is good and other times not.  I notice when I pass the ball to others, the ball seems spin back to me instead.  It is like a reversal.

Setting:
Setting is my worst skill.  I set with 4 fingers on each hand, but notice my ball just does not setup to the spiker correctly.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

nick  

Answer
Nick-
 You're asking for a lot of information here, but I'll do my best with what I've got here.  One of the first things I do if I want to correct anything, whether it's a volleyball swing or a golf one, is I video tape it.  The best way to see what your friends see is by watching it yourself.  This way you can see your faults, assuming you have them, and correct them accordingly.  If you are making contact by your ear, then no, you won't be generating all the power that you could be generating.  As far as the contact, make sure that your hand is fully open.  If you ever played football in highschool and had your wrists taped, you may remember extending your fingers so that the tape wouldn't be applied too tight.   No different here, the greater the surface you create, the better contact you're going to make.  If you're making contact behind your head, that's all in your approach.  Wait for the set, adjust, and go get it.  If your vertical is good, you should be able to get away with this pretty easy.  
Passing:  that back spin you're talking about?  Is a good thing.  It sounds like your problem is you're not directing the ball with with your body.  here's the deal.  That back spin simply means you're getting to the ball and you're not "swinging" at it on compact, and that your shoulders are tucked accordingly, which is a good thing.  What do you notice every pro do on impact of the pass?  Their shoulders.  They have that, "I don't know", shrug.  Quite honestly, that's the hardest part.  A lot of players I see play are lazy at this portion of the pass.  They move too slowly to the ball, and therefore they end up having to swing at the pass which causes a loss of control.  I've ran drills in college which has players pass balls to themselves, as you've described.  If you can do that, which you've stated you do, then you can pass anything!  In time your direction will come.  Make sure your shoulders are square to your target, along with your feet, which should be a little greater than shoulder width apart.
Setting:  I heard a veteran player tell me when I was younger that I still apply today, and it seems to work for me.  Try this out.  Imagine taking a large pitcher of water with your arms extended and dumping it on your head.  That position of your hands is no different than setting the ball.  In other words, try using all your fingers, not just 4 of them.  I assume you're leaving your pinky finger out of the set, which is not a crutial element, but it's the concept that matters.  I learned to set over time with a series of drills, (Don't try these in actuall play)  For starters, maintain stiff wrists, relaxed fingers, and set the ball bending only your elbows.  Take the ball in, and let it go, using ONLY your elbows.  Once your control becomes more effeciant, try the same drill with stiff elbows, relaxed fingers, and set only with your wrists.  In actuality, this is how you'll be setting on the beach.  your wrists are key.  That, accompanied with a slight give in your elbows should have yo in the right direction.  The last thing to keep in mind with setting, and one of the most important things to remember, is to constantly communicate with your hitters when you set.  They'll tell you where they want it.
I hope this helps Nick.  Let me know how you do!

Matt