Blocking is considered the first defensive skill used to attempt to keep your opponent from spiking successfully into your court. While teaching volleyball fundamentals I focus on explaining what the responsibility and positioning is for each body part.
Feet
Place your feet shoulder width apart parallel to each other and with
both feet perpendicular to the net.
Lower Body
Your hips and whole body should be squared up and facing the net.
Knees are in a slight squat in a ready position that allows you to
side step along the net either to the right or left quickly. You
should be about Half Your arm's length away from the net.
Upper Body
Shoulders are squared up and facing the net. Your starting position
for your hands are bent elbows with hands -palms facing the net just
above shoulder level. Your hands stay Just above your shoulders and
not below your waist or below the net ...so that when you jump your
hands and arms are in a ready position to block the ball and you dont
waste precious time bringing them from a low position.
When blocking its always important to watch the hitter that you are
going to block. This way you can see and Anticipate where the hitter
is going to hit.
If you see that your hitter's spike approach is coming toward you - at
an angle... more than likely they are going to hit cross court so then
you line up in front of them to block their cross court.
You need to line up in front of the hitter and prepare to block the
extension of your hitter's arm.
If your spiker's approach is in a straight line they will likely hit
down the line and you need to make sure that your body is squared up
in front of them ready to block the extension of their arm.
Block Jump
Watching your hitter is very important because this is how you know
when you need to time your jump to block. Once you've determined where
your hitter is going to block and you've adjusted your body position
by side stepping left or right in order to line up in front of your
hitter - concentrating on the extension of their arm -wait until JUST
as the hitter contacts the ball to spike - then you block jump.
Hands and Arms
As you jump, Extend Your Hands, Arms And Shoulders over the net or as
high as possible in order to grab the ball. You are literally trying
to catch the ball as it passes over the net.
Your hands are spread and fingers are wide apart in order to catch or
"block" the ball.
Once you contact or Block the ball your ...widespread fingers (with
solid rigid wrists) should just deflect the ball back into your
opponents court (some say you are presenting a wall with your hands
and arms that will deflect the ball back into your opponents court.
April Chapple is a former USA National Womens Volleyball Team member and Volleyball Professional who created Volleyball Voices the first virtual volleyball mentoring community for girls volleyball players and volleyball coaches with stories by champion women volleyball players and coaching volleyball articles that break up volleyball skills so females learn how to play better volleyball.
