How can I improve my peripheral vision so I can see the block while I hit?

Question

I can never see the block or the other teams defense while I hit and I would like to change it but I dont know how.

Answer 1

Try this, it worked for me...

Practice hitting a ball as you normally would, but at the last second close your eyes. You will learn to remember where the ball is and hit it as you normally would. After a while, instead of closing your eyes right before you hit, try looking at a designated point on the other side of the net.

Once you get good at this, you can then practice looking right at the blockers while remembering where the ball is and aiming the ball away from the blockers. It takes work, but its possible.

Answer 2

It's actually much easier and more accurate to have your teamates to tell you where to hit so you can keep your eyes on the ball and concentrate on spiking the ball.

From mine and everyone else's experiences, it's almost impossible to accurately locate blockers's hands while attempting to spike because blockers go up after the hitter.

Not the other way around.

Keep your communications simple and have some one tell you how many blockers you have and where to hit.

For example, "you got two, go angle" means you have two blockers and should hit cross court.

Remeber, volleyball is a team sport and you can't always win it yourself.  It works much better when the team works together for every play and communication is the key in doing so.

Answer 3

You never want to take your eyes off the ball. What you can do is have a friend stand on the opposite side of the net with a sheet of paper (red on one side and blue on the other).

When you go to hit, have your friend show a color as you are in the air. Call the color out to them.

When you get good at this, set up an action with each color.

Red=Cross, Blue=Line or Red=Tip, Blue equals deep court roll shot.

Have your friend move around the court and show the colors.

Then, finally, concentrate on your friend at the net, use a smaller card (an index card works) with the same colors and have them stand in a blocking position.

With a few days of work, you can really understand how to use your whole field of vision when hitting.

Do NOT take your eyes off the ball, even in practice. You don't need to read the expression on a blockers face, you just need to know where their hands are. This can all be done while concentrating on the ball and using peripheral vision for the block.

I use this technique with younger players because many people misunderstand that volleyball is not a sport that happens on your side of the court only. Chances are, if you know what's going on on the other side of the net, you have a better chance of winning.