Essential skills volleyball players should possess
Volleyball is a relatively new sport and is a hybrid of a number of activities. Over the years it has gained popularity globally and is being played in many international events, including the Olympics. As it is a more physical sport, the players that participate
usually belong to the younger age bracket. In countries where volleyball has been able to develop professionally - such as America, Canada and Australia - the sport is competitively played even at the high-school level. As volleyball has become increasingly
competitive, performance standards for the players have also increased. In order to have an edge in volleyball it is important to master some basic skills of the game.
In this article, we will be discussing with you the essential skills that any volleyball player should possess.
The first and foremost playing skill to master is the Serve. The game of volleyball begins with a serve. Many players have been able to score a series of points because the other side could not break their serve. Therefore, it is an important tactic which
any volleyball team can use to increase the pressure on their opponent.
There are two main types of serves. One is the overhand serve. As the name suggests, the server throws the ball up in the air and hits it as it is falling back down. As opposed to the overhand, the second one is the underhand serve. The server does not throw
the ball in this case, but rather holds it in one hand and swings the other one in order to hit the ball from underneath.
As players develop their professional prowess, they make variations of these two forms of serves, or learn already existing ones.
Having started the game with the serve, the next skill in line is the Pass, also called the Reception. A pass forms the basis of team work. One way to identify the collaboration of a volleyball team is by analysing how the players are passing the ball and
how much. The person who passes the ball to another team-mate is called the setter. The setter has the job of setting up a good pass, which would enable the team members to get the ball over the net in the best possible manner. Therefore, a setter-attacker
relationship can be integral to a team if it wants to go on the offensive.
The third game skill that every volleyball player should have is the Tip. This is a term used for a manoeuvre that is used to fool the opponent. When the player hits the ball, the opposing team is under the illusion that the ball will travel further than
it actually does. This is because the player has hit the ball lightly, while his action reflected force.
After the tip, we come on to the Dig. The opponents will make every possible attempt to score a point. A very affective attacking device is a spike, in which a player has hit the ball with full force, speed and at an extreme angle. The team at the receiving
end of the spike needs to have the ability to counter this attack, or they will let the game slip right out of their hands. The only way to effectively defend a spike is to perform a dig. To make a dig is to dive at the ball with hands stretched out in order
to prevent the ball from hitting the floor. Quick reflexes are required to master this skill; and that will only come with practice.
If a player is able to develop these four basic playing skills, there will be a noticeable difference in their performance. As they begin to master these skills, their confidence in the game will increase, which will further improve the player’s game.
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