How do you set a ball for a smash?

Question

I always end up by meeting the ball with stiff and straight fingers-the ball usually bounces off my fingers. Else, I end up carrying the ball. Can someome help?

Sorry for the extremely basic level question, but I am a learner.

Answer 1

I'm a varsity player in my country so I think I can help, it's a good start to make the ball bouce on you finger tips, put your hands together and place it on your forehead first, then look up, open it and it will make a diamond shape on your forehead, throw the ball upwards and catch it that way, slowly you may separate it from doing the diamond shape form, I suggest not using your pinky, since all fingers s allowed, and don't let it hit your palm, (sorry for tryng to teach you again, maybe you blanked out there)  and the smash part is for the hitter to decide, but it's stronger if you set it when the hitter runs out of the court line  and try controling your toss,

Answer 2

a set will be met with mainly 6 fingers: thumbs, index fingers, and middle fingers.  

as you follow through on the set, your thumbs should touch after your arms have fully extended.

Answer 3

Don't be sorry for askin the question, it is important to be able to do it properly. it lokks and sounds like an easy thing to do but there is a lot you need to make sure is done. I am a setter for my university team so hopefully i can help.

we will start with the larger body groups and work the way to the fingers...

You need to make sure your shoulders are square to where you want to set the ball, I know it sounds obvious, but there are a lot of setters at a younger level that do not square their shoulders. It will make sure that the ball goes straight out of your hands and won't go off to the side as easily.

Also, use your legs to give most of your power for the set, that way you don't have to put as much strength into your arms and shoulders which makes it easier to control. Jump setting is a great way to do it but if your not sure how don't worry about it, just worry about setting normally. Use your knees to give you your power.

With your arms/elbows you want to be sure that you have your elbows are bent so that you don't try and set with straight arms and have no power or control

The placement of your hands before u set the ball is just above your forehead and tilted depending on where and how high you are going to set the ball. And with the fingers you should make almost a triangle with the two thumbs as the bottom of the triangle and the fingers almost looking like the point, and then the other fingers should be spread out a little bit to give surface area to contact the ball and give your fingers support. You also want the shape of your fingers to be a bit relaxed and in the shape of the ball...a good way to figure it out is to place a ball into your hands to figure it out almost like a mold.

then on contact you work your way up, push up on your knees, extend your elbows and the most important part is to use your wrist for the last second power and aim and your fingers also a bit

it is a harder thing to describe then it is to show someone and work on it with them

hopefully this helps a bit and with practice you will get it down

Answer 4

Keep your fingers loose and soft. Don't spread them apart far. You want to get probably two feet off of the antenna and high enough for the hitter to get there. But if you're setting middle, ask the middle hitter how they like it. 1, 2, or 3 being the highest.

-Oh, and don't take any c**p from the hitters, they don't have to run a frigging mile on the court as us setters do. Have them try it some time :)