June 17, 2010 by jameslucas.

By April Chapple

There have been and currently are some great beach volleyball women who know how to set the ball with their hands but more times than not, choose to bump set when given the opportunity. They know that by overhand setting they may be able to deliver a more accurate set to their hitter but that accuracy depends on all the elements that play a part in the game being absolutely perfect. The pass has to be perfect, there’s virtually little to no wind, the team needs to be on the “good” side of the court, neither player is excessively tired or exhausted, and are they in transition or serve receive?

These are a few examples of things that a beach player considers before deciding whether it’s worth taking the chance to overhand set or to play it safe and bump set the ball. Having all these things to consider is the reason why most professional beach volleyball women rely on bump setting the ball even if they do have “good hands” and are usually good setters.

Teammates will put in many practice hours of bump setting to their partner because they know the advantages which include:

1. Reduces the amount of mishandled ball calls against them, especially during crucial moments of the game. Beach volleyball women know that the longer a tournament or a game lasts, the more tired they are likely to become and that means the slower they will run. It’s inevitable that at some point in the game they will get within arm’s reach of a ball and have to become the leaning Tower of Pisa if they try to overhand set it. Professional players also know that they can still be one or two steps out of position when this happens and this greatly increases the chances of being whistled for a setting violation. Instead they will choose to bump set which allows them to let the ball fall a little further giving them time to use their platform to make up for those few inches that they need to get underneath the ball in order to lift it back in the air for a great controlled set.
2. They can wait longer before making contact with the ball. The longer a beach volleyball player can wait to bump set the ball, the farther it will drop and that will decrease the chances of the wind taking the ball and blowing it further away from you.
3. Increases the ability to make last minute tweaks and adjustments to the ball.

When you overhand set you are reaching up and contacting the ball a lot sooner than when you bump set. When performing the latter, the ball has time to fall further before a player makes contact, and this gives them more time to track the ball and key in on it so if the wind does blow it around they are more prone to be in a balanced stable position so that they can follow it.

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 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: April Chapple

Why Professional Beach Volleyball Women Bump Set the Ball

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June 9, 2010 by jameslucas.

By April Chapple

As a junior volleyball player one of the best ways to become a better all-around volleyball player is to improve your volleyball setting. Even if you’re undecided about what position you want to play in high school or club attending a volleyball camp should give you an idea as to what the setter’s responsibilities are, what its like to play in that position and whether you’ll be interested in being a volleyball setter in the future.

Basic Skills Camps - As a young player who has never attended a camp before, for your first experience you may want to attend a basic volleyball skills camp. These types of camps can come in all forms, but when you attend a basic volleyball skills camp you should ideally expect to learn all the basic volleyball skills-setting, serving, passing, blocking in two (sometimes three) sessions throughout the day for one, two or multi-day volleyball camps.

For three-day camps, most camps should offer 18 training hours-that’s a morning and afternoon session that lasts for three hours while a four-day camp averages 21 to 24 or more training hours, especially the team camps.

One of the first things to expect as a camper, especially at a basic skills camp is to be placed in a group based on your skill level and volleyball playing experience so that you will be involved in skill-appropriate drills. This way you won’t get discouraged easily because you’ve been placed with a group of players that have a lot more experience than you do.

Types of Volleyball Camps Where You Can Improve Your Setting Skills

In Texas, what you’ll usually find at a volleyball setters camp, whether its an overnight or a day camp is that it is designed for those players interested in specialized volleyball setter skill training. A volleyball setters camp is an individual volleyball skills camp which is tailored to those athletes that have a basic volleyball foundation and are in high school. There are typically two sessions one in the morning and one in the afternoon and both sessions focus specifically on all aspects of the volleyball setting position. Setters will concentrate on setting skill techniques and training repetitions in footwork, decision making, and various play sets.

In Connecticut the volleyball positional camp is designed for players who have the desire to improve their specific positional skills. This type of camp needs to be taught with a hands-on approach, with each camper being taken through step-by-step progressions, which should include the basic fundamentals. Each position usually focuses on their appropriate footwork, hand positions, visual cues, the correct timing for each volleyball skill being trained and arm swing or arm movement mechanics. Setters are trained in advanced concepts that typically include setting various quick sets and running an offense.

There are even volleyball boot camps for setters in Colorado that offer opportunities for the players who have proven to have the fundamentals to advance their setting skills. This type of camp offers video breakdown, movement training, and games. Setters learn how to improve their setting control, increase ball delivery accuracy and expand their repertoire through instruction from Colorado’s most experienced and accomplished setting coaches.

And now I would like to invite you to check out volleyball camps in your state and to get Free video instruction directly from Olympic gold medalists and pro players on how to become a better 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: April Chapple

Volleyball-Camps—How-to-Become-a-Better-Volleyball-Setter&id=4394825

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April 1, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Andrea Fryrear

In a previous article I discussed how important it is to have a solid footwork foundation. Now it’s time to expand your setting skills to include not only footwork but your hands as well.

There are three main principles that you should keep in mind when setting:

1. Your hands need to be both soft and strong.

As the ball approaches you your hands should already be above your head with wrists cocked back slightly. Cushion the ball as it contacts your hands by flexing your wrists just a little more and then straighten them quickly. Use both hands equally to direct the ball toward your chosen hitter.

Remember that there is a very small difference between soft hands that can cushion the ball and illegally holding the volleyball too long. If you break your wrists too much and appear to carry the ball, you’ll be called for a lift and your opponents will get a point.

Conversely, your hands can’t be too stiff either. Without some give in your wrists you’ll never get the ball under control. When using a forearm pass you’re just redirecting the ball’s momentum toward the target by allowing it to ricochet off your arms. Setting, however, demands that you alter the ball’s path as it leaves your hands.

As it approaches you (the setter) the volleyball is traveling toward the net. After the set you want it to travel parallel to the net. So without hands that are soft enough to cushion the ball and alter its path without holding on too long, you won’t be able to achieve accurate sets.

2. Thumbs in the eyes

Please keep in mind that I’m not advocating that you really jab your thumbs into your eyes. What I am saying is that as you receive the ball your thumbs should be almost directly above your eyes.

To achieve this position your wrists need to be flexed slightly and your fingers rounded. This type of position should direct your thumbs back toward your face; if they’re not pulled back they’ll be in the way of the ball, and jammed thumbs will ruin anybody’s day.

As mentioned in #1 we need hands that can cushion the ball without carrying it too long, which means we need nice ball-shaped hands. And of course the only way to get our hands to make a spherical shape is by pulling our thumbs back toward our eyes.

By making sure your thumbs are pointing toward your eyes and not your mouth or forehead you’ll be well on your way toward achieving a more consistent set.

3. Take a cue from soccer

I know this might seem a little odd since soccer players use their feet and setting involves just your hands, but to have accurate ball position when setting the volleyball we can imitate soccer players a little. More specifically, I’m referring to heading the ball.

If your footwork has been accurate and you’ve positioned yourself underneath the ball in preparation for setting, it should be approaching your forehead. Moving your hands away at the last second should result in the volleyball hitting your forehead, not your mouth or the top of your head.

Again, I’m not advocating that you actually let the ball hit you on the head or in the face.

Keeping the ball above your forehead will allow you to take full advantage of the power generated by your arms, wrists and leg muscles. Maintaining this ball position every time you set will also decrease the amount of time the ball is in your hands, making it less likely for you to be called for a lift.

For more detailed instruction on setting footwork, hand position, and drills to get you on your way to setting perfection, check out the Volleyball-Life Setting Ebook. The previous article on setting footwork is available here.

Andrea Fryrear
Managing Editor, Volleyball-Life.com

Andrea Fryrear is the Managing Editor of Volleyball-Life.com and a 17-year volleyball veteran. She’s played high school, Junior Olympic, NCAA and international volleyball and loves to share her knowledge and experience with other players.

Article Source: Andrea Fryrear

Three Tips For Beautiful Volleyball Sets

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