What's the best way to have "soft" hands when setting?

Question

I'm not a setter, but want to learn how to keep my hands soft for the future.

Answer 1

um, im pretty decent at setting, but i have NO IDEA what youre talking about. "soft?" dont know what ya mean, uh use lotion? sorry!!!! :P

Answer 2

OK, so there were a bunch of tips about how to set in general...they all seem fine. But you asked how to get "soft hands," right? Here's what worked for me, and I bet it will work for you, too.

Even though it seems weird, get a women's basketball. Toss it in the air and practice setting it. the weight of the ball will make the ball drop into your hands more naturally. Practice this for awhile, then switch to a volleyball. You may need to go back and forth for awhile. But basically, this teaches your body how to let the volleyball "drop softly" into your fingers.

A few other things to keep in mind: when setting an actual ball, the ball should land on your forehead if it slips through your fingers. If it hits you in your chest, you are holding your hands too low. Your motion moves out from in front of your forehead/face.

second, give the ball a slight squeeze once it drops into your hands. This will definitely take some time to get right, but it will help you release the ball with no spin. Too hard, and you will be carrying it, so look for that balance.

You'll get there! Keep practicing and good luck.

Answer 3

use only your 3 fingers index, middle and ring finger....and make sure u keep them loose.

Answer 4

The first thing anyone would tell you is to practice.  But what do you need to practice?  Take a ball ( perferably a setter ball) and set twenty to thirty times close to the wall.  Then take seven steps back, pick an area on the wall and set to that spot twenty to thiry times and repeat for about a half hour.

Answer 5

just use the pads (or tips) of your fingers.

Answer 6

Grab a volleyball and put the ball over your forehead.  Have a friend pull the ball out without moving your hands.  That is a good starting position for your hands.  

Have someone toss the ball to you.  CATCH it.  Take a look at your arm position and your hand position.  You should even look to see if your knees are bent.  Then, throw the ball back.  Take your time.  It should be at least 3 seconds before you throw the ball back.  Do not take the ball back when you throw it.  Take it from where you catch it.  Keep doing it this slow.  After 10, make it a little faster.  It should still be about 2 seconds.  After 10 more, make the throws faster.  If you start to see spin or hear sounds, slow it down again.  Do this drill EVERY DAY for at least 2 weeks.  do not take the weekend off.  Even if your hands are soft, you want to keep practicing setting slowly.  If I do not touch a ball for a long time, I will start like this again.

Answer 7

ok i have very soft hands and im the setter for my team sooo what i do is i crack my fingers a lot i know its a bad habit but oh well it helps! i also do like hand and finger stretches b4 a game

Answer 8

While it is true that this skill is somewhat genetic (ie some people just naturally cushion the ball before volleying) it is something that you can practice and develop. While using a women's basketball is one option, I don't recommend it because it's larger than a volleyball and made of different material so your hands get used to the wrong size and texture of ball. You can purchase a weighted volleyball (often called a setter's ball) which will accomplish the same thing but the ball is the right size. One drill you can try with a regular volleyball is to stand very close to a wall facing it. With your arms mostly extended, hands about 2-3 inches from the wall, volley the ball quickly against the wall. Keep this going for as long as you can. Once you get the technique down, you can start working on relaxing your wrists and allowing your thumbs to drop lower each time you receive the ball.

The one thing suggested that I must completely disagree with is the idea that you must keep your right foot forward. A good setter will recognize where they are on the court and adjust their positioning accordingly. While it's great to hope that your passers will get the ball to you a foot from the net every time, this is unrealistic. You need to get your body comfortable with putting either foot forward so that if you're not right at the net, you can change your stance to make sure your body is lined up to put the ball in the right place.

Consistency is the key to a really good volleyball player. The best way to get consistent is to practice the same skills over and over and over again....then practice some more. Eventually you build up muscle memory that allows you to perform a skill without having to think about it. Until your muscles 'know' how to do it, you won't be consistent.

These are important skills to work on for any player. Even on National level teams the setter doesn't always get the second ball so you have to be ready to help them out.

Answer 9

I know what you are talking about, and based on what my coach told me it is all about genetics... I don't have soft fingers and I am jealous to see those who have, and my coach asked me to play middle hitter although I thought I could also do a good job as a setter.

I am not trying to discourage you so that I would have to say that you might need longer warm up time before starting your game. It would usually take me 20 minutes before I can set a ball with "high" quality/accuracy, but some people could just do it the first second they step onto the court without any warm-up (that is what we call gifted setters).

More practice should definitely be the route. A good coach who knows the trick would also help. Stay positive and have your mindset saying "I can do it" is the right attitude. When nothing works perfectly, blame Dan's coach for saying "it is all about genetics.

Answer 10

put ur fingers so theymake a diamond then point ur fingers up and bring them down a tenth f a secnd before the ball hits themthen pop ur fingers back up

Answer 11

first, start out w/ a simple little drill...the one that got me to be setter is this: you just put ur hands palms down in front of u, then flip them so ur thumbs are towards th ceiling.then lift them up so its lik ur thumbs r poking ur eyes out. then kinda just bend ur wrists so its lik that ur drinking a 2 liter bottle. when u extend, make sure ur LEGS are bent (they give u momentum and help lift the ball up) and ur elbows are bent-then just extend out like superman! you alawys want ur rite foot forward, and lik i said bent legs and elbows. for soft hands, you wanna make sure ur fingrs are RELAXED, not stiff....it helps push the ball up....and dont flick to hard or it puts spin on the ball.....or u mite get called w/ a carry.

Answer 12

practice, practice, PRACTICE! i would sit down on my couch and set about 6" above me for minutes on end. until i was drained.

Answer 13

I've developed very "soft" hands by doing these three things...

1.) While watching TV, bring a ball onto the couch with you. At every commercial break, set to yourself.

2.) Try doing push-ups with your hands on volleyballs

3.) Take a set of three brown paper bags (the kind you used to get at the supermarket). Cut down two of them in length, one by a third, and the other by two thirds. Tape to the ceiling of your bedroom or den the three bags. Then, laying on the couch/bed/floor, or sitting on the floor/in a chair, set the ball up towards the bag so it just "kisses" the bottom, but does not crumple it. Switch from bag to bag to get different heights.

These should work. Good luck!