How to punch in volleyball

Video: How to Hit a Volleyball - Arm Swing Mechanics

Content

Part 2 of 3: Building Power
Part 3 of 3: Performing an Attack
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

1 Take a position. Volleyball rules state that you must be a front row player to throw the ball over the net. It is most effective to throw the ball from the right or left side at a sharp downward angle. Whether you are hitting the ball from a left or right position, stand behind the 3-meter line (attack line), which is about four steps from the net.

If you have long legs or wide strides, stand a little further.
If you are right-handed, you can do a more powerful offensive punch when approaching from the left, and vice versa if you are left-handed. If you are tall and can jump higher, try starting towards the middle.

2 Watch out for the pitcher. The center-position player will throw the ball high in your direction, bending its trajectory so that it falls next to the net into a position that is comfortable for an offensive hit on the other side. After serving the ball, you will begin your run.

When practicing offensive shots, it is best to involve an experienced pitcher. The ball should rise and fall in a soft arc next to the net, creating an ideal position for you to attack.
Since you are training with a team, you need to name the team members to let them know that you are hitting. Many commands come up with names for each zone, if you have them, use them.

3 Get in the right position. Look at the ball and bend your knees to be ready to move. If you are right-handed, place your left foot behind your right. If left-handed, then the right foot is behind the left.

4 Take the first step towards the ball. Take a firm first step with your left foot in the direction of the ball. If you're left-handed, do the opposite.

5 Take the second powerful step. Step with your right foot to pick up speed (if left-handed, this will be your left foot). At the same time, bring your arms back behind you to prepare for the strike. The length of this second step will vary depending on the position of the ball; if he is further away from you, take a shorter step; if farther away from you, take a longer step.

6 Follow the last step to align your legs. Step again with your left foot (or right if you are left-handed) and at the end, your shoulders should be shoulder-width apart and your knees bent. Hands should be pulled back behind you.

The hand swing is very important when it comes to jump height. A well-timed swing will help build momentum. Achieve timing excellence through training.
Make sure your feet are about shoulder-width apart so you don't lose your balance at the end.
Keep your head up to watch the ball as it flies towards you.

7 Jump right in front of the ball. Once you're done with the last step, rotate your body at a 30-degree angle to the net, keeping your striking shoulder farther away from the net. Jump up sharply and swing your arms forward while jumping into the air. The higher you jump, the more powerful your punch will be.

8 Raise your hand to strike. Once at peak height during the jump, swing your arms above your head. Pull back your right elbow (or left if you are left-handed) and bend it at a 90-degree angle. The hand should be at the level of the head.

9 Hit the ball with the center of your hand. Keep your palm open at the ready, fingers closed.To quickly move your hand towards the ball and create contact, rotate your hand near your shoulder and jerk your forearm forward. Bend your wrist sharply downward to add upward spin and send the ball down into the opponent's field.

Try to hit the ball at the peak of your jump to maximize your hitting power.
Lower your hand "through" the ball near your torso. This ensures that you don't lose momentum throughout the entire stroke.
It is prohibited by the rules to touch the net. After hitting, bring your arm back to your body to avoid a free kick.
Be careful not to allow the ball to be “carried” or “held” in your hand, even for a second, as this is not the rule.

10 Bend your knees when your feet touch the ground. This will help restore balance and avoid injury to the ankle.

11 Return to starting position. If the opposing team hit the ball, then you need to be ready for further action. Move away from the net and take the starting position. Keep your eyes on the ball all the time.

Part 2 of 3: Building Power

1 Practice maneuvering your legs without the ball. When you are just learning how to strike, it is important to concentrate on footwork. Train hard enough to learn the volleyball approach enough to do it while you sleep. Remember to start behind the line of attack and move towards the imaginary ball. Focus on mastering a fast, powerful take-off run.
2 Practice swinging as often as possible. Take a volleyball and practice hitting it against the wall, over and over. Throw it up in the air or serve it to yourself, then practice pulling back and performing an offensive punch. Remember to sharply bend your forearm forward, tilting your elbow and rotating it towards the ball. The faster you can do this, the more powerful your offensive punch will be.
- Training on your own is fine, but it can be helpful to work out with a partner who can serve you the ball so that you can fully work on your run, jump, and swing.
- Concentrate on making firm contact with the ball, sharply bending your wrist, and completing the shot.
3 Increase your jump height. The jump height depends on your entire takeoff run, not just your final stride. Make sure you approach the ball vigorously to start building momentum. Swing your arms back vigorously as you bend your knees. When jumping, your entire body should move in one stroke upward, bringing you to the best possible position for the attacking blow.
- Practice jumping as high as possible, and at the peak of the jump, strike each time with an attacking blow.
- Try using an offensive punch trainer. It is a device that keeps the ball high, forcing you to jump high enough to hit it at the peak of the jump and knock it out of the device.
4 Concentrate on timing. Knowing exactly when to hit the ball will really affect the power of your shot. You need to time your take-off run so that you can make contact with the ball in its “best” position, a position where your hand can hit it down while you are still at the peak of the jump. The ability to calculate the time is one of the basic skills for mastering; only after hard training will you be able to achieve maximum punching power.
- To learn how to timing, it is helpful to train with a good server. Work with someone who can serve the ball high and in the correct position for you to hit at the top of your jump.
- When you run towards the ball to hit, watch it with your eyes. If you hit it with your fingertips or too low part of your hand, know that you are wasting time.
5 Always follow through to the end. Completion is very important to hitting power because without it, you are forced to interrupt your hand's momentum before it can actually hit the ball at full speed.The key is to complete the shot without touching the net. Bend your elbow as you complete the shot so that you can keep your hand closer to your body instead of touching the net.
6 Do strength exercises. Serious volleyball players perform special exercises to build up the calf muscles, abdominals, rotator cuffs, and other muscles that are involved in a powerful jump into the air. Work with a coach to start workouts that will help you jump higher. Here are some sample exercises:
- Do push-ups. To begin with, you can place your hands on the floor or on an exercise ball, which also helps to stabilize the shoulder joint. Do three sets of fifteen push-ups, increasing the number of reps as you gain strength over time.
- Throw the ball over your head with both hands. Use a medicine ball (heavy volleyball). Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, swing your arms up over your head, then throw the ball down to the ground. This will train your shoulders and arm muscles.

Part 3 of 3: Performing an Attack

1 Work on your angle of impact. The hit will be more powerful and effective when you hit the ball at a sharp downward angle. You need him to hit the ground as quickly as possible, so that the enemy does not have time to repulse him. Once you have mastered the correct punching form, practice sharp angle kicks.
- Find free zones on the court, which are problematic for the enemy to cover. Strive to hit those "holes" instead of hitting the ball directly at your opponent.
- By striking from multiple locations along the net, you can take advantage of your opponent's weak spots.
- Practice hitting the target by striking from the box. Stand on a tall, rigid box in a position close to where you are at the peak of your jump when striking. Have someone serve you the ball and you kick while standing on the box, trying to hit the target on the other side of the net.
2 Learn to see blocking players. Blockers are players of the opposing team, whose task is to block your blow from crossing the net. No matter how hard you hit the ball, if you aim it directly at the blocker, then you most likely won't earn a point for your team. It is important to keep an eye on the ball, but you must learn to look out for blockers out of the corner of your eye to avoid them near the net.
- The best way to practice spotting blockers is to train with enemy players. During offensive strike training, have them block your attacks.
- By correctly targeting hits outside the reach of blockers, you can avoid them.
- Remember to bend your wrist sharply at the end of the shot so that the ball gets an upward spin; this will make it more difficult for blockers to successfully block the ball.
3 Confuse your opponents by moving sharply. Dancing slowly and gracefully on the way to the ball will give your opponent plenty of time to get into a position that will help block your shot. Moving quickly and energetically, you will catch them off guard and have a better chance of successfully completing an attack.
- If your legs are not fast, sprinting training can improve your speed.
- It is important not to start your run until the ball has been served; otherwise, you will betray yourself before you have a chance to hit.
4 Develop a strategy with team members. Many volleyball teams use code words, special formations and other strategies to mislead opponents. Making an effort to distract or confuse your opponent before the attacking punch is a great way to open up a hole on the other side so that you can score a point. Read related articles on volleyball strategy and what you need to do to beat your opponent with a dry score.

Tips

In order for the ball to go down, it needs to be given an upward spin, and for this you have to snap your wrist at the moment of impact. Practice hitting the ball against the wall while flicking forward with your wrist.
Shout "Mine" or "Open" before moving towards the ball. This will signal to your team members that you are taking the ball and will help prevent collisions.
If you can't hit the ball down, do exercises to improve your vertical jump so that you can jump high enough to “reach the top” of the ball.
One of the most used strikes: left, right, left, jump, kick! Remember to think about the rhythm of your steps as it helps you become familiar with your takeoff run.
There are many different types of runs; and the one that your coach teaches you may be different from the one described above.
When you bounce to hit, jump to the net, not straight up. This will greatly increase the power of your punch. Depends on whether you can delay the jump and timing correctly.
If you are the center player and are close to the net (called “B” or “2” in some teams), you will need to start your run before the ball is served.
It is not always necessary to strike an attacking blow during an attack. A well-placed graceful throw (a short shot to the unprotected part of the field), a swing (a light touch to hit the ball into the opponent's block and send it to the ground), or serve-shot (a long, straight serve to an unprotected part of the field) can take your opponents by surprise and bring give you a point.

Warnings

Keep in mind that in organized competitive volleyball there are many rules governing who and how can hit the attacker.
To prevent serious injury, always stretch before strenuous physical activity.
Do not allow your hand to pass over the net during the strike - this is a mistake.
Do not allow your foot to cross the line of the net, otherwise your opponent will score a point.