From standing on the ground contacting a ball, to taking an approach, jumping, and contacting a ball , seems like a huge step; but it doesn’t have to be. The biggest issue is timing for most kids, and we will tackle that in a few paragraphs. (Turns out it’s more than a few.)
Obviously, the player must jump properly, swing properly, and contact a ball. Each skill must be done well to assure optimal success. As I said, timing is a huge hurdle to overcome, so let’s eliminate that factor. The following drills take some athleticism from the coach, but this sequence pays dividends as the players get older.
Side note:
The loss of my athletic ability is the reason I stopped coaching for several years.
I woke up one day and my left hand was kind of numb. My feet felt like my socks were all bunched up in my shoes. When I sat down, it felt like I was sitting on rocks. It felt like I had an Ace bandage wrapped around my midsection. I poked myself in the eye several times trying to scratch something on my face.
I could not control where my extremities were going. I also became great friends with the ground, and drinking a bottle of water was an adventure.
I had contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) and lost any athletic ability I had. GBS is an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system. It can leave the victims paralyzed. I was lucky. It attacked my sensory nerves for the most part and did not paralyze my body. But it did leave most of my extremities numb and evaporated my coordination for a several years.
I didn’t think it was right to coach when I was physically limited. Hell, I struggled to walk without falling. It was not fair to the girls.
Needless to say, I could not have passed a roadside sobriety test.
GBS usually goes away. "Catch 22" author Joseph Heller contracted it and then returned to almost normal. He wrote about his dance with GBS in his book "No Laughing Matter." Good book.
Mine did not go away and has not gone away. I ended up with a new syndrome, CIDP.
The doctor basically told me he had good news and bad news. The good news was that for the most part, my motor nerves will probably not be affected after a recovery period. The bad news was that my sensory nerves will be. I asked him why that’s bad. He said, “You know how you feel right now? Get used to it.” So I have that going for me.
I could go on about the last nine years, but the point is I could not take the kids through these next few drills in addition to many others. I have improved over time, but running this part of the sequence is still a struggle. To say the least, it’s maddening.
Ok, enough about my depressing decade.
After the girls understand the principles of hitting the ball while standing, the last two steps of the approach, and how they should jump, it’s time to put it together and hit the ball while they are in the air. We want to do this without the timing a tossed ball.
As I suggested before, start with a small group of hitters and have the others shag. The coach is at the 3-meter line with the balls. I use the 3-meter line so the girls can visualize where they are jumping. This can be done off the court too, but I like the line as a reference. The hitters stand in a single-file line about 10 feet away.
While the coach stands with a ball held to the side away from her body, each player practices her approach to the ball, one at a time. She needs to approach as fast and powerfully as she can, but as slowly as she needs to. Some players will need to take just the last two steps, and others will be able to take three or four steps. The ball is used as a visual aid for learning where to jump relative to the plane of the ball.
Many girls will run into the ball as they jump. This means they are jumping past the ball. The ball should be in front of them when they jump. The coach can put an X on the floor where the player’s right foot needs to plant on approach.
The player approaches as if she is going to hit. She needs to replicate the pre-hit position when she jumps:
Both arms up.
Left hand pointing to where the ball will be.
Right arm and shoulder drawn back.
Do not toss the ball yet.
The coach needs to make sure each player gets into that position when she jumps. Since the ball is not being tossed yet, each girl should land without turning into the ball. Don‘t let them get lazy on these approaches.
“You have to nip it. Nip it in the bud.” Barney Fife
Once the group understands and demonstrates the proper position and technique, it’s time to begin tossing the ball up when the girls jump. This is where a bit of athleticism comes in on the part of the coach. We want to eliminate timing. As the player jumps, the coach tosses the ball up in front of her hitting arm. It is important that the coach learns to time the toss with the jump, and puts the ball where it needs to be. Once the players find out they are going to hit the tossed ball, things will change ... and not for the better. They are so anxious to hit the ball, all technique vanishes.
They will approach as if they are timing the toss.
They will forget the approach technique they just practiced.
When they jump, they will immediately move their right arm toward the ball instead of pulling it back.
They don’t want to miss the ball.
The coach must convince the players the ball will be there when they jump. They do not need to time the toss. All they need to think about is approaching correctly, jumping correctly, and preparing to hit correctly.
The girls should hit the ball into the ground. Hitting into the floor will reinforce the principles of keeping the ball out front, extending the right arm through the ball, and contacting the ball on top.
The most important movement to see is the right shoulder. It should not turn into the ball as the players jump. If the coach sees the right shoulder turning into the ball, she does not toss it That habit must be stopped before it takes root.
Just a teeny story ...
Recently, I worked with a small group of fifth graders who were on the same school team. There were a couple of kids who had more experience and a bit more athleticism.
Not having any experience is better than having a little experience where the kids develop bad habits. There were a couple of the kids who lacked experience and made big strides with this drill. They didn't have any bad habits to start with.
A couple of the more experienced, more athletic kids struggled. It was hard for them to reach their right arms back. Every time one of them approached the tossed ball to hit it, I saw their right shoulder coming right at me. They got a little frustrated when I refused to toss the ball because I saw that right shoulder.
I had one of the fathers video the approaches. Running it frame by frame, we could see their right shoulders turn as they jumped.
Horrible habit. And remember, they are in only the fifth grade.
I have no Idea how fifth graders developed that habit, but I have my suspicions. When a coach is thrilled to have kids who are strong enough to hit it over the net and not concerned with anything else, there is a petri dish of bad habits developing. Or ... a coach had them approach, swing at air, and turn into the net as a drill. As I have mentioned, using that drill leads to lazy approaches and bad habits. As Barney Fife would say, “You have to nip it. Nip it in the bud.” You may have to watch TV Land if you don't know Barney. Damn, I’m old.
Some other things to watch for in this drill:
As they approach, they are looking at the floor instead of the ball.
The last right step is not a powerful step.
The feet are not planted in a good jumping position.
They begin to jump before the left foot is completely planted.
They don’t jump off of two feet.
Keep reminding them not to hurry. Get everything right.
Note: If the ball is tossed past the hitting plane, make sure the girls continue to turn to the ball and hit it sharply to their left. Don’t let them lean to their leFt and try to pull the ball back.
As this sequence progresses, the coach moves down the 3-meter line away from the jumping area. It is important the girls know they don't change anything. They need to keep doing the same thing. There will not be a timing issue for the girls since the timing is borne by the tosser – the coach.
The only thing that changes is the spot the ball comes from. More athleticism is needed by the coach here. Remember, we don’t want the kids to worry about anything but their approaches. This means the coach must have the ability to get the ball to the hitting spot in front of the players at the correct time. The player only needs to learn to track the ball.
I was pretty good at it. Didn’t even have to think about it. That was then. Since GBS came to my party, I struggle to toss a ball in a straight line. (All because of one damn flu shot. The only one I ever had...but I’m not bitter.)
After the girls get the drill, this is very fast moving. More players can be added to the line. I cannot stress enough – coaches must stay vigilant. You cannot accept bad form.
Correct, correct, correct.
After hearing the coach correct players, the players can help themselves and those that struggle. Coaches should not only develop better players, they should develop little coaches as they grow with the program.
With this drill I’m also teaching them a quick tempo attack. I’m basically killing two birds with a one-drill sequence, introducing hitting the ball in the air and exposing them to a fast set. If this drill continues through the program it will be easier to teach a quick tempo attack when all aspects of a quick offense can be accomplished.
With older players, the coach can begin the drill a distance away from the attacking spot. You can substitute a setter for the coach. The setter has to learn the speed, quickness, and jumping ability of her hitters. With a setter in the mix this drill also works on that.
I can count on one hand the number of high school or club players I’ve seen run a quick attack properly. There are usually two huge issues. First, the hitters are always late. Second, they jump too close to the net, under the set ball. This drill sequence allows the players to work on those aspects of the attack.
This hitting sequence teaches two important principles to young kids. They learn that once they begin their approaches, they need go hard and jump. They need to be confident the setter will get the ball to them. Once the hitter begins her approach, there is no timing on her part. Also, they begin to understand the need to go hard once the approach has begun even when they are hitting an outside set. The timing of the ball does not take place during the approach, but rather before it starts.
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