Does height affect the power when you spike a volleyball?

Question

i need to know by tommorow because i have a project to do.

Answer 1

Well it depends if you can jump high.  I mean my coach is like 5 foot 2 maybe even shorter, yet she is a rightside and can hit the ball really hard and down.  So height doesn't truely matter.  It just depends on your vertical jump

Answer 2

if it is in a project i would generaly say no. power does not depend on height.  it depends on how hard you swing your hand.  height affects your distance and angle but not power

Answer 3

no it definitely doesn't. The only thing that really matters is that you snap you wrist and have a high contact and know where to place it. Height does help in some cases but is not the key thing in hitting. It does help you get on top of the ball when up at the net, but you can be 6'5" and suck at hitting. You just have to have the right technique and a fast arm swing.

Answer 4

Well, a taller person can jump higher but that has nothing to do with power.  A tall person usually plays volleyball because they can jump above the net and this is the key.  A tall person can also hit over a block and they can get the ball over the net quicker because they do not have to wait as long for it to fall.  What affects a person's power is their arm swing.  The faster you swing your arm, the harder you will hit the ball.  I am 5 foot 9 and I know a lot of people who are shorter than me who hit with more or the same amount of power than I do.  It is all about arm swing.

Answer 5

yes becuz u can get on top of the ball more

Answer 6

no

I'm 5'2 and a sophomore on varsity playin left front

(outside)

Answer 7

It affects the distance the ball will travel.

Answer 8

The shorter of the distance between the starting point and the ending point, the faster a player will get there... so the height would definitely play a role when spiking a ball ("easier access", less stress, quicker reaction, etc.)

Answer 9

Yes, of course, height affects the power when you spike a volleyball.  It's a good example how physics applies to sports.  

Potential Energy = mass x grvitational acceleration x HEIGHT

When you have good height, you can swing down at the ball.  The hitter's hitting hand and arm start swinging with greater potential energy which is transformed into kinetic energy when making the contact with the ball.

This is why batters hold their bats high in baseball and pitcher's mounds help pitchers throw faster.  Basically, you can generate greater energy when you swing your arm down than swing it up.

Another way height affects the power is range of motion.

Work(energy gained) = Force x DISTANCE

Given that the armswing starts at the same spot, hitters with good height have greater range of motion because they would hit the ball well infront of them rather than above their heads.  Basically, they have more room for their arms to accelerate and generate greater energy just like a full swung hook is more powerful than a j*p in boxing.

Answer 10

Yeah it does.

Answer 11

In general, when dealing with humans, you must take into account that some humans are always the exception. So use the words "most of the time", or "for the average person" when doing your project.

Most of the time, a taller person will have longer arms then a shorter person. If you assume that both people have the same speed when swinging to spike, and contact with the ball is made at the same height (say a foot above the net), then the edge is given to the taller person.

Reason having to do with Centripetal Force. This basic concept can be demonstrated by taking a string and tying it around an object like a tennis ball. Hold the string and swing it around in a circular motion and release it when the ball is at it's highest point. Do this with a one foot and three foot piece of string using the same speed in your circular motion (make sure both tennis balls weigh about the same if using different ones). Record the distance of each and I believe you'll find the longer piece of string yields a further or more powerful distance.

Hope this helps,

-jmart