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VBLIGUY · 11-14-2005, 10:05 AM

#1 you have to be in the right position. To get there you need to learn how to read a hitter and you have to know what your block is going to to.

#2 get low and get your arms out to your sides about 40* from center. You want your thighs to be pointed toward your hitter and up at something like a 30* angle as well. This may sound odd but the goal here is to be in a position that if the hitter hits the ball so fast that you have no reaction time that you are as big and have any surfaces (arms, legs) pointed up in case you get hit. IMO the arms out is key, I see too many players standing there with a platform already made. I never liked this because if the hit is off to your side you can't react as fast and the one arm digs generally don't happen.

#3 learn as the game goes on. Some hitters want to hit down all the time...some are smarter than that, as a defender you need to learn what each hitter will want to do. If you get one of those guys/gals who hits steep all the time then for god's sake move in closer. If you have a good hitter then it is harder, if you go in they will hit deep, if you stay back they will hit short. It becomes a chess match and you basically need to try to fool the player into thinking your somewhere you aren't. I found playing a lot of doubles helps in this area. Heck I believe playing a lot of doubles helps anyone become a good defender because you basically have the whole court to cover. When you get to playing 6s defense gets a lot easier.

#4 get an attitude and that attitude is that NO ball is going to hit the floor on your side of the net. May sound stupid or impossible but if you think like that and go after every ball in every play like that you will get a lot of balls you never thought you could get and a lot less balls will drop on your side of the net.

	(#2)
VBLIGUY Spectator Status: Offline Posts: 12 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Glen Cove, NY	11-14-2005, 10:05 AM #1 you have to be in the right position. To get there you need to learn how to read a hitter and you have to know what your block is going to to. #2 get low and get your arms out to your sides about 40* from center. You want your thighs to be pointed toward your hitter and up at something like a 30* angle as well. This may sound odd but the goal here is to be in a position that if the hitter hits the ball so fast that you have no reaction time that you are as big and have any surfaces (arms, legs) pointed up in case you get hit. IMO the arms out is key, I see too many players standing there with a platform already made. I never liked this because if the hit is off to your side you can't react as fast and the one arm digs generally don't happen. #3 learn as the game goes on. Some hitters want to hit down all the time...some are smarter than that, as a defender you need to learn what each hitter will want to do. If you get one of those guys/gals who hits steep all the time then for god's sake move in closer. If you have a good hitter then it is harder, if you go in they will hit deep, if you stay back they will hit short. It becomes a chess match and you basically need to try to fool the player into thinking your somewhere you aren't. I found playing a lot of doubles helps in this area. Heck I believe playing a lot of doubles helps anyone become a good defender because you basically have the whole court to cover. When you get to playing 6s defense gets a lot easier. #4 get an attitude and that attitude is that NO ball is going to hit the floor on your side of the net. May sound stupid or impossible but if you think like that and go after every ball in every play like that you will get a lot of balls you never thought you could get and a lot less balls will drop on your side of the net.