Backsetting?

Question

what's the proper way to backset? and are you supposed to flick your wrists or arch your back or just extend your arms? i've heard so many different ways, that i'm not completely sure. please help!

Answer 1

what i was taught is to NOT arch your back, but to act like you're going to set in front of you, and then just shift your hips forward a little and set the ball. no need to arch your back or anything. Just shift your hips.

hope i helped!

Answer 2

The key to setting constistently, either forward or backward, lies in not letting your body language give away where you are sending the ball. Back sets should look like any other set, but at the end, you use your wrists to move the ball behind you. If you have a coach your work with, ask them to show you, or search about.com's volleyball pages! Good luck!

Answer 3

using your wrist is correct, if you arch your back your going to give away where you are setting, use your wrist and extend your arms. that's the proper way

Answer 4

DO NOT bend your back, although it gets the ball to the back side, they will get blocked every time because the middle will read u!  try to set the ball mostly with your thumbs but without bending your back, other wise it will be roof city

Answer 5

Much of what is said here is correct, but what people have said on here about arching your back is all wrong.

You DO want to arch your back! If you don't arch your back at all you will be bad at back sets.

What everyone may have meant is that you don't want to arch your back BEFORE the ball is in your hands. Once you are in the motion of the back set, you do arch your back.

Answer 6

dont arch your back! It the BIGGEST giveaway ever for the blocker on the other side of the net! Use your wrists to backset.

My younger sister ws the b team setter last year as a 7th grader when she started she would arch her back and when we (varsity) scrimmaged them I would block the rightside everytime cuz it was obvious where she was setting it, but now thats she uses her wrists I have a much harder time knowing where she is setting and now her backset is better than her middles and outsides :)

Answer 7

As mentioned several times above, you do not want to arch your back.  If you do, you will get your hitter double blocked EVERY time.  

I am not so sure I would say "flick" the wrist either.  It should look the same as your other set.  You want the ball to land on your forehead if you do not touch it.  Your high outside set has a high follow through that is about a 45 degree angle.  Your short and middle sets do not have a set that is as high and is more straight up.  When you back set, the follow through is high and behind you.  Or if you prefer a more graphic way, your outside set should have a follow through to 10 o'clock.  The middle set about 11 o'clock and your back set to about 1 o'clock looking at you from the back line.