Better Swing
Question
I have been playing volleyball for about 5 years and I want advice on how to better my swing and acuracy. I need help on landing it in the right places on the court.
Answer
Heather-
Thanks for seeking advise on this one. Let's take a look.
I translate your question into actually two parts. 1) Your swing, and 2) Your accuracy. I'll start by saying that being good at one will make you better at the other. Your swing has so many componants that often times beginners lose sight of. It starts with your aproach, leads to your arm swing to capitalize on your momentum, and finishes with your contact and follow through. I've learned over the years this little saying before attacking, "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast". Think about it. Your ability to maintain fluidity throughout your entire swing is arguably the most important factor to making solid contact. When you watch the best players in the world, notice their approach, right up to the point they make contact. If you freeze there motions (on videaotape), it's tough to tell whether they are going to pound the line, or roll the angle, isn't it? Thats because they maintain consistency and fluidity throughout there swing, and they seldomly telegraph their shot.
For starters, focus on building a consistant approach. Your steps, your timing, etc. When you start to leave the ground for your attack, make sure your swing is 1)Full, and 2) Fluid. Don't short change yourself by not taking a complete swing on any given attack. A complete swing does NOT equal a hard hit, try not to forget that. When making contact, be sure that your fingers are extended, as big of a "high five" as you possibly can. This will create a greater striking surface to maximize your power, and low and behold, your accuracy will follow suit. Finally, always reach high. I'm 6'6 myself, with 37 inches under me when I jump. I learned quickly to maximize my height and my jump by finishing with a high swing. No sense in taking a great approach only to drop your elbow and make low contact...right into the block. Reaching high will feel odd at first, almost as though you're losing power by doing so. But over time, it will become not only natural for you, but you'll find that your best attacks will come from such a swing.
To give you the short hand answer to your second quesiton...you guessed it, stay FLUID! You can try the old garbage pale cans on the corners and try to roll your shots, and compete with your fellow teammates if you'd like, but again, focus on a smooth swing, and try not to place the ball there. If you start doing that, you break the smoothness of your swing, and I promise you you'll hit more balls out rather than your target area.
I sure hope this helps you. And please, if you have anything else you'd like some help with, don't hesitate! Thanks again.
Matthew
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subs in volleyball