Blocking strategies in volleyball
Over the years the game of volleyball has developed so much that now it includes various complexities and variations. It no longer is a simple task to play volleyball as teams have now taken the international stage and players are involved in the game at
a professional level. Therefore, volleyball has come to include different techniques as well as strategies that help teams score the most points and defend as many as possible in order to make a win.
The following quote by Kerri Walsh explains the importance of perfecting one’s own skills in order to play a good game of volleyball, “You touch every other ball and, if you s***w up, you only have one more person to back you up. You can’t go hide in the
corner.”
There are several different skills that are involved in volleyball. A player might be good in setting while another might be good in blocking. In order for a team to excel, each player should develop the skills that he or she is good at so as a whole, the
team can perform well and cover for individual weaknesses. The development of a certain skill does not only involve executing it perfectly, it also deals with practising different techniques as well as strategies in order to maximize the effect. A team that
inculcates the required strategies and techniques in their practice sessions is able to make better use of them during the actual matches. In this way, teams that have strategies as well as techniques in mind to adopt in order to achieve the desired goals
are able to succeed more often than those that do not practise them.
One of the most important elements in volleyball is the blocking ability of a team. The blockers on the team are present on the front of the court, near the net. They serve the important function of stopping a ball from coming towards their side of the court.
Therefore, blockers more often than not serve to save points. Not only that, blockers can also lead to the scoring of points if the incoming ball bounces back into the opponent’s court because of the block.
One of the strategies that can be used to carry out an effective block is called Read blocking. This is the term used to describe the process of reading into the hitters of the opposing team before they make a hit. If the blockers are able to predict the
way a hitter will carry out the hit, the chances of making an effective block would increase. Therefore, blockers should not concentrate on spontaneously acting on the hit; they should develop the ability to predict the hit as well. Once the hitter on the
opposing team sees that he or she is being read, it will confuse the player into making mistakes and confidence in making the hits will be lost.
However, the blockers should take care that the incoming ball does not speed off the hands of the blocker. If the block makes the ball speed off into the defence of one’s own team, the defence might find it difficult to control such a ball. As a result,
rather than saving a point, the block will contribute towards making one for the opposing team.
Therefore, if the above mentioned strategy is adopted while making a block, a team will be able to save a lot of points.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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