Correct technique for a volleyball dig?

Question

Why is it wrong to interlock your fingers to do a dig? Ive seen online that youre supposed to make a fist with one hand and place the other on top...

Answer 1

Interlocking is the technique we offer to beginners. As soon as they get more experienced, we teach them to do one fist and wrap the other palm around the fist.

The way to pass for a very experienced player is to have two fists separated, thumbs pointing down, wrists together, forearms twisted so that elbows are as close as possible (to form a better platform). You pass the ball with the platform of your forearm, while shrugging your shoulders (raising your shoulders) and pushing up your legs when contacting the ball.

Answer 2

Follow Evanescent's advice. Another note regarding stance is that you should have one foot slightly ahead of the other, not side by side. Your body should as often as possible be facing the direction that you want the ball to go. NEVER SWING YOUR ARMS; keep your arms rigid, using your knees to move your whole body toward the ball. Eventually what you want to be doing is having a somewhat circular motion with your body: slightly backward and down as the ball is coming toward you; slightly forward and up as you contact the ball.

Answer 3

Interlocking your fingers is a bad idea, but doesn't putting one hand on top of a fist put the wrong side of the arm up?  I don't really get what you mean so I'm probably doing it wrong...

Interlocking your fingers is just not right for volleyball.  You will not be playing up to your skill level if you interlock your fingers.  First, interlocking your fingers makes it harder to create a good passing platform, even when passing the softest balls.  If your fingers are interlocked, your forearm wants to point in toward the other arm when it should be pointing up.  Interlocking your fingers makes some errors worse.  If you miss read a hit, which will happen against skilled attackers eventually, and it hits your hands the usually nonuniform structure of interlocked fingers can send the ball any which way, and you most likely just gave a free point to your opponent.  If you try to pass and you have interlocked fingers you can easily break your fingers.  If you are straining your wrists to make a flat platform you can also break or dislocate them as well.  Because you specifically asked about digs we have another point.  Interlocking your fingers takes far to long for a dig.  It takes to long to come together, and it takes to long to come apart if something unexpected happens and you need to make a one handed play or if you need to dive.

A proper dig begins with your hands around chest height, because you need to be able to play both high and low balls.  Keep your knees bent and your weight forward.  If you play a high ball set the ball or pop the ball up with a prayer (Put your hands forward with your thumbs behind the opposite hand and play the ball off of the palms.).  Tomahawks and claws are also common.  Sets do have the best control, but you risk breaking fingers against harder hits.  If you dig a low ball you should lay one hand in the other, palm up and fold the thumbs over the top.  The priority though is to get your hands together, secondary is getting a good platform set.  Beyond that form is an extra.  If all you can do with your half moment is to press your hands together, it will have to do. Play the ball up off of your forearms, and absorb the extra force with your body, as well as by shrugging your shoulders and slightly moving your arms backwards when you need to.

Answer 4

it's a bad idea to interlock your fingers, because when you hit the floor and your hands come in contact with the floor and the ball at the same time, you could bruise your fingers or knuckles

Answer 5

If you interlock your fingers when you go to dig a ball up there is a chance you could hurt your hands. On the other hand if you make a fist with one hand and place the other on top then you have a better chance of digging the ball up and not hurting yourself.