Knee Pads

[BHitterDPasser]

Originally Posted by volleyballstud

To be honest, I don't think such a thing would work correctly. A patella strap is used to raise your kneecap and put it in place to keep the joint from rubbing the cartilage. The kneepad would counteract what the patella strap does.

As for diving on a serve the drops on you... shouldn't you be walking through on your pass like in the "figure 8" or "chase the tail" passing drills?

You guys are making typical design errors. It is not using a patella strap incorporated in a kneepad but designing a knee brace that will have padding and provide the same function as a patella strap. It could do it in a different method. Talk to someone who understands knee dynamics. I worked with a biomedical engineer a few years back on knee replacement and if you really wanted to look into this, I could probably dig up his contact information.

[volleyballstud]

Originally Posted by BHitterDPasser

You guys are making typical design errors. It is not using a patella strap incorporated in a kneepad but designing a knee brace that will have padding and provide the same function as a patella strap. It could do it in a different method. Talk to someone who understands knee dynamics. I worked with a biomedical engineer a few years back on knee replacement and if you really wanted to look into this, I could probably dig up his contact information.

How did I make a design error if I said such a thing wouldn't work? It would most definitely need to be a knee brace of some sort because a brace would be more functional in supporting the patella than a knee pad.

[mycena]

Originally Posted by volleyballstud

"walk" would probably be a poor word choice. Let's say you're running forward to pass a ball. Your momentum would carry you through your pass... meaning after you pass the ball, you should keep going forward and immediately get into block coverage position.

In the last couple of clinics I have been to the one thing that has been beaten into me (and other vbliers) was to stop before you execute the play.... the guy running the clinic was the former coach at Harvard I think.... What has everyone else learned?

Originally Posted by volleyballstud

If Ty is playing at that high a level, his setter should have the ability to do that... I sure do. There's also the option of setting a back row player...

I'm not saying a player can't back bump set, all I am saying is in all the videos that i have seen online.... I've never seen the 'pros' doing it....

[volleyballstud]

Originally Posted by mycena

In the last couple of clinics I have been to the one thing that has been beaten into me (and other vbliers) was to stop before you execute the play.... the guy running the clinic was the former coach at Harvard I think.... What has everyone else learned?

I'm pretty sure that your clinics didn't go over diving to your knees on a short serve, either. 99% of your passes you should have enough time to plant your feet to pass the ball. I'm talking about a situation in that other 1% in which they think they have to resort to diving. Say a serve receive pass is low and heads to zone 4 and the setter is coming from the back row and can barely get to it, when the setter hand sets the ball to their outside hitter do they stop on the dime or do they run through towards the pole off the court and loop around to come back on defense? What I'm trying to tell you is all about saving energy and saving your knees.

Originally Posted by mycena

I'm not saying a player can't back bump set, all I am saying is in all the videos that i have seen online.... I've never seen the 'pros' doing it....

The pros usually have an outside hitter that has a chance in that situation against a double block. Their middles are also usually quick enough to get back to the weak side of the court in time to set up the block against a lower percentage set. If I'm setting and I see a slow moving middle perched on my strongside hitter, I'll bump set the ball to weak side knowing that the middle probably won't get there and give him the 1-on-1 situation.

[tbarbera]

Originally Posted by volleyballstud

99% of your passes you should have enough time to plant your feet to pass the ball.

That 1% is just what I am talking about. That 1% is what leaves me with massive bruises on my knees when I wear the strap. So now that we are on the same page...

Also I am talking about overhand passing a serve that drops at the the last second and you need to pull you whole body down to pass the ball while it is still over your head. I can do this the easiest by dropping to one or two knees and then still overhand pass the ball. This is that 1%... hope I cleared up any more confusion.

Yesterday at practice I wore the knee strap under the knee pad and this seemed to help a bunch... better than wearing nothing at all. I put my knees on the ground to see if that extra padding worked to not push the band into my knee as much and it did. I didn't have the chance to test it in a game situation since I didn't have that 1%.

What I was thinking from an engineering standpoint that seems like it would work is a knee pad with an opening where the knee strap would go. There would need to be padding that is thicker than that strap which seems like it would be able to work. I am envisioning a knee pad with the padding cut out where the knee band would go. What does everyone think about that?

PS. Thanks Strazz.

[coachmanzi]

It happens, it's part of the game...etc.

sometimes you just have to dive for a ball. Tyler is a libero and knows what he's doing, obviously. But, hey, you gotta dive some times...

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[volleyballstud]

Practice hacky sacking and work on your foot digging skills since it's all legal now.

[set10]

while correct diving form should land you on your chest and not your knees, when you are in the heat of a game, and balls are being deflected off a reaching block you just gotta go to the ball whatever way you can. Personally, I dont wear knee pads, but thats because i havent hurt my knees, but... all the talk about not hurting yourself if you do things properly is b.s. because tons of pros wear knee pads and the game of volleyball is unpredictable. Its like saying a helmet in baseball is useless, you shouldn't get hit in the head, but it can still happen.

conversely, on those low passes, what I've seen alot of professionals do (i just went to a game in Greece, it was amazing) is step up as fast and as low as they can to make the pass, and basically just fall over because they have gotten lower than they can balance.

[thew0nginator]

Originally Posted by volleyballstud

Practice hacky sacking and work on your foot digging skills since it's all legal now.

But don't let it become a habit. I'm trying to break that hacky sacking habit now...

[strazzere]

Without trying to derail this thread completely... I'd still laugh at anyone using a bumpset for anything but a shanked ball. I don't care how you try to spin it - a setter should be able to SET each ball at high levels. Unless, well - I can call you a bumper if you'd like?

It's not a matter of it NOT working - it slows the offense down. If your play in high level - and you bump set back... Yea the middle will probably go - holy hell, he BUMP set the ball. Since I'm doubting many people run a consistant back-shoot-bump (remember your doing this since it's a burnt play...) that middle will have his ass up there to atleast swing block it.


Lastly, good point by Ty. I know last weekend when I got the pleasure of liberoing I dropped to my knees a few times. It makes it so I can set the ball opposed to bump it. Since I'm normally a setter I can pull a better (looks ugly) pass out of this. Since there arn't doubles on serves, I'll deep dish the ball like no tomorrow.



Short version;

Good liberos leave skin on the floor; Good setters use thier hands, otherwise they arn't setters - thier bumpers.