By [1] [3] April Chapple

Setting a volleyball is a skill of finesse. It takes a soft touch, great timing and the ability to coordinate your upper body that is required to push the ball in the air with your lower body which first has to get into a low position and then come out of that position all in one well-choreographed sequence.

Never do players find this more true than when setting the ball on the beach where the sand and other elements are also introduced as “game” determining factors.

Beach volleyball players have certain styles of setting the ball and beginners like to emulate the professionals by trying to copy their style, but some styles aren’t what they seem to be and they may not be the ones that should be copied.

Deep Dish Setting A Ball

Some players try to use the deep dish set for a couple of reasons. Some guys usually do it because they think it looks cool, others do it because they think it’s the only way to take the spin off of the ball. Other female players will deep dish because the beach volleyball is heavier than an indoor volleyball and the weight of the ball plus it’s downward momentum will cause them to bring the ball down lower usually pass their chin and around their chest level before they push the ball back in the air in order to deliver a set to their partner.

To deep dish effectively you need to be able to get the ball back in to the air, after it’s dropped past your chin to your chest, with an overhand set and deliver a ball to your partner with virtually no spin or rotation on the ball. Good luck with that.

The problem with deep dishing is that you are setting yourself up to be called for holding or lifting the ball.

• When you set a ball it shouldn’t come to an absolute complete stop. (This concept is a lot looser on the beach than it is in indoor volleyball.)
• Another thing that shouldn’t happen when you set the ball on the beach is that like indoor volleyball you are not allowed to touch the ball using the palms of your hands to set. By using your palms you are forced to push the ball or lift it back in the air, and that isn’t setting the ball, that is a violation which you will be called for.

Combine these two elements I mentioned above with

• not being able to put extra spin on the ball when you set it and now you’ve increased your risk of committing not one but a couple of violations because by attempting to use the deep dish, instead of contacting the ball to set it when it reaches the level of your forehead, you wait until the ball falls further down past your chin or chest area to overhand set the ball.

I now ask you, is it worth all the trouble?

And now I would like to invite you to get Free video instruction directly from Olympic gold medalists and pro players on how to become a [2] better beach volleyball setter.
You’ll get access to free videos with instructions for indoor and beach volleyball skills that you can use right away!

From April Chapple, creator of the volleyball news hub Volleyball Voices.com and author of the new ebook “86 Girls Indoor Volleyball Tips:How To Gain Confidence On the Volleyball Court.”

Article Source: [3] April Chapple

[4] Beach Volleyball: The Deep Dish, is it a Pizza or a Way to Set the Ball?