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SETMENOW · 11-12-2005, 07:28 PM

A few additional points about swing blocking:

1) During the opponents' pass/dig, the outside blockers (both right and left) should be positioned 8'-10' from their respective sidelines. This is so they can help with any quick attack in or near their zones. As the opposing setter contacts the ball and sends it outside, the outside blocker uses a cross-over step to get to the antenna. For the rightside blocker, that means he leads with his left (inside) foot, driving it to the antenna where he will plant and jump. The leftside blocker does a mirror image of this, crossing-over by driving his right (inside) foot toward the antenna. (Teaching cue: Instead of talking about feet, tell the blocker to drive his inside knee to the antenna. This will do a better job conveying the proper mechanics and help him cover the 6'-8' needed to get in front of the hitter without taking any extra steps.)

2) During the cross-over, both arms drop and drift back so the blocker will be able use a double-arm swing when he jumps . . . hence the term "swing blocking."

3) The blocker should plant to jump with both feet pointed 45 degrees out-of-bounds, with his hips and shoulders at the same angle. This angle makes it easy to square up to the net quickly as the blocker leaves the ground. (Too many swing blockers plant with their feet, hips and shoulders pointed 80 or 90 degrees out-of-bounds, which makes it virtually impossible to square up to the net after jumping . . . and makes it exceedingly easy for the hitter to tool the outside hand.)

4) As the blocker swings his arms and hands up while jumping, both hands should be within two or three inches of the net during the entire swing. This helps enormously with penetration and sealing the tape, especially with the outside hand.

5) One of the main problems with swing blocking -- and the reason some coaches refuse to teach it -- is the amount of lateral drifting that some blockers have when using this technique. To limit lateral drifting, stress keeping the hips behind the feet as the blocker plants to jump. This will help convert horizontal speed into vertical speed (which helps the blocker jump higher) *AND* it limits the amount of lateral drift during the block.

6) Middle blockers using swing blocking mechanics will do exactly the same things described above, with the addition of a long lead step with the onside foot when they start toward the antenna.

Hope some of this helps.

	(#3)
SETMENOW Spectator Status: Offline Posts: 16 Images: 27 Join Date: Sep 2005	11-12-2005, 07:28 PM A few additional points about swing blocking: 1) During the opponents' pass/dig, the outside blockers (both right and left) should be positioned 8'-10' from their respective sidelines. This is so they can help with any quick attack in or near their zones. As the opposing setter contacts the ball and sends it outside, the outside blocker uses a cross-over step to get to the antenna. For the rightside blocker, that means he leads with his left (inside) foot, driving it to the antenna where he will plant and jump. The leftside blocker does a mirror image of this, crossing-over by driving his right (inside) foot toward the antenna. (Teaching cue: Instead of talking about feet, tell the blocker to drive his inside knee to the antenna. This will do a better job conveying the proper mechanics and help him cover the 6'-8' needed to get in front of the hitter without taking any extra steps.) 2) During the cross-over, both arms drop and drift back so the blocker will be able use a double-arm swing when he jumps . . . hence the term "swing blocking." 3) The blocker should plant to jump with both feet pointed 45 degrees out-of-bounds, with his hips and shoulders at the same angle. This angle makes it easy to square up to the net quickly as the blocker leaves the ground. (Too many swing blockers plant with their feet, hips and shoulders pointed 80 or 90 degrees out-of-bounds, which makes it virtually impossible to square up to the net after jumping . . . and makes it exceedingly easy for the hitter to tool the outside hand.) 4) As the blocker swings his arms and hands up while jumping, both hands should be within two or three inches of the net during the entire swing. This helps enormously with penetration and sealing the tape, especially with the outside hand. 5) One of the main problems with swing blocking -- and the reason some coaches refuse to teach it -- is the amount of lateral drifting that some blockers have when using this technique. To limit lateral drifting, stress keeping the hips behind the feet as the blocker plants to jump. This will help convert horizontal speed into vertical speed (which helps the blocker jump higher) AND it limits the amount of lateral drift during the block. 6) Middle blockers using swing blocking mechanics will do exactly the same things described above, with the addition of a long lead step with the onside foot when they start toward the antenna. Hope some of this helps.