Basic Forward Defensive Moves, Part II

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1 Basic Forward Defensive Moves, Part II Written by Andre Christopher Gonzalez Tuesday, September 27, 2005 Three techniques that will put your team on the defensive The Run-Dig-Run-Roll Because so few balls land directly in a player s original defensive position, the ability to run is vital to defensive success. Athletes must be able to perform a variety of defensive maneuvers, including: 1) those away from the net 2) to the sides of the block 3) along the sidelines 4) along the endline 5) when changing directions Having to defend balls landing in close proximity to the net are the most difficult to execute because there are several variables to negotiate during pursuit, including the speed at which the ball is traveling, the potential depth at which the ball will land, how much reverse spin will be needed to prevent an overpass, as well as being able to finish the action(s) on the floor, and avoiding going underneath the net. The Run-Dig-Run-Roll (much like the run-thru) should be used when an athlete must defend the ball running towards the net. This move is broken down into four steps: to begin, the athlete takes an efficient first (running) step and begins to accelerate as she gets closer to the ball. Second, the athlete will make contact in a flexed (running) stance with the ball away from the body. After contact is made, the athlete will take additional running steps to increase the rate of reverse and/or sidespin. Finally, when the athlete begins to lose her balance she completes the action with a recovery roll. Unfortunately most athletes decelerate prior to contact and hesitate, slow down, or fall as they get closer to the ball. This can cause the ball (after contact) to react with greater horizontal speed and less vertical speed usually resulting in an overpass. The RDRR technique forces the athlete to take the necessary (full-speed) running steps to drive the platform underneath the ball to induce the desired spin and speed of the ball. Think about how many times balls are deflected off the block or how many times attackers change speeds (tip or rollshot) and hit the ball into the shallow portions of the court that are not defended because athletes are

2 unable to run the ball down and manipulate its trajectory. This technique best utilizes the defender s speed prior to and during contact. The primary difference between the run-thru and the RDRR is that the RDRR requires the athlete to take additional (full-speed) steps after contact to ensure finishing the action. The faster the athlete runs the more likely she will feel the need to execute a recovery move after contact and will finish this technique with a recovery move. The steps prior to performing the recovery technique should resemble a sprinter leaning towards the finish line with the shoulders in front of the knees and the athlete appearing to lose her balance. This is a result of the athlete accelerating as she gets closer to the ball near the ground. Just like the run-thru the first part of the RDRR the run is a sprinter s step. The longer and more explosive the first step, the greater the chance to consume a greater amount of area in a shorter period of time. Some common technical flaws prior to taking the first step include switching the feet, dipping, or hopping, which put the defender at a considerable disadvantage. One of the other inefficiencies shared by many players is running with the hands together. Remember that moving efficiently means that the lower body is allowed to operate without upper body lever interference. To elongate the arms, flex the shoulders forward. A common technical flaw during this step is the use of the j-hook to reverse the spin of the ball. One of the obvious deficiencies with this technique is the inability to create the left to right or right to left sidespin needed to redirect the ball from outside the court. The arms should always remain straight using only subtle shoulder adjustments to reverse and/or redirect the ball. To create the appropriate angle of incidence, the shoulder furthest from the target area should be more elevated than the shoulder closest to the target. Well there are a few instances when the arms can bend during contact, manipulating the ball s trajectory is more likely using a straight platform. Parts three and four of the RDRR, the additional running steps and the roll, are what separate this technique from the run-thru. Remember that the additional steps after contact allow the athlete to complete the (full-speed) running action needed to increase the amount of back or sidespin necessary to redirect the ball. Think of how a sprinter crosses a finish line. If taught correctly, sprinters are trained to accelerate through the tape and begin deceleration well after passing the finish line to avoid losing ground in the last few steps. Similarly, how the ball reacts after it makes contact with the platform is predicated on how much of the speed (used to pursue the ball) is

3 preserved during contact; thus, being able to make contact at full speed gives the athlete the best opportunity to manipulate the ball s trajectory. to allow the athlete to feel comfortable enough to perform a floor move when it becomes necessary. Some athletes are more comfortable rolling to the left while others are more comfortable rolling to the right. In either case choosing to roll to either side is not vital to the success of defending the ball (because the roll is a recovery move and not a defensive move). However, players should be trained to roll in both directions to be able to react appropriately to the context of a given play. When teaching this technique be sure to lead your athletes into the move by tossing or striking the ball far enough in front of them, allowing them to exercise the appropriate amount of speed needed to complete the action in a running motion. The Bow-Down Technique The Bow-Down is a hybrid technique, combining the double knee-slide and the forward sprawl, it is used most often by the left back and right back players to defend fast attacks (1, 31, and some second tempo crossing pattern sets such as the 2) in close proximity to the net. Players defending this close to the net must be able to execute a variety of maneuvers that allow them to make an explosive forward move (underneath the ball) without over passing the ball. There are two objectives when defending close to the net: the first is to deflect with more vertical speed and less horizontal speed. The second is to drive the platform underneath the ball increasing the rate of reverse spin to keep the ball on your side of the net. Most balls attacked with greater velocity (within 3-4 meters of the net) are overpassed; however, with enough training players can be taught to manipulate the ball s trajectory regardless of how quickly it may travel or at what depth it may arrive. To begin the defender must start in an athletic and flexed stance with the base width approximately 5-7 inches wider than shoulder width and with the shoulders in front of the knees.. This width of this stance concurrently allows the athlete to be able to drive the legs forward to execute the bow-down technique or facilitate a running maneuver if necessary. After executing the double-jab-step the athlete should begin to drive the balls of the feet forward, initiating a double knee-slide and flexing the

4 shoulders forward (elongating the platform) to make contact underneath the ball. As I discussed earlier much of how the body will respond to a particular ball is predicated on how the head reacts after the ball is struck. Prior to making contact with the floor the chin should be tucked in (with the eyes fixated upward on the ball) toward the chest to avoid contact with the face if the ball lands more shallow than anticipated. Once contact is made the legs should continue driving forward until they become straight to increase the amount of platform speed underneath the ball. After the arms make contact with the floor they will naturally bend to allow the platform to facilitate finishing the action and help cushion the impact. Keep in mind that the more platform speed underneath the ball (this comes from the legs) the greater rate of backspin after the ball leaves the arms. Remember that when teaching this move it is important that you are striking the ball in an area that facilitates the athlete keeping her head and shoulders over their her and allows the athlete to use her length to defend the ball. The Crossover and Roll The Crossover and Roll is a hybrid technique combining the Crossover and the RDRR. It is used most often when pursuing balls that land in front of the defender at an angle. For example imagine a ball that is deflected off the block (within 1-2 meters) to either the left or right of the defender. In these instances the defender must first be able to pursue the ball with a running or crossover move, dig the ball, take one additional step, and initiate a recovery move. The biggest difference between the RDRR and the Crossover and Roll is that the speed of the attack or deflected ball is much greater and vertical relationship between the defender and the ball is much closer to the ground. Because the speed at which the ball is traveling is greater the defender is not afforded the luxury of taking additional steps after contact. The athlete begins in a flexed and athletic stance (angle between the feet and the shins approximately 35 degrees) with the arms away from the body at about an 80-degree angle. Once the defender has determined where the ball will arrive in her area of responsibility, a jab step taken in that direction initiates either the first running step or crossover step. This will depend on the distance between the defender and the ball. The closer the defender is to the ball a crossover will most likely be used. The farther away, a longer running step should be used to consume the area between the defender and the ball. The jab or running step should be pointed toward the direction the

5 defender intends to pursue the ball. Any steps made to the direct sides of the defender will increase the distance between herself and the ball and will likely cause the hips to rotate away from the target area, making it very difficult to angle the shoulders prior to contact. Remember that the knees must remain over the feet to allow the body to increase its length and elongate the platform prior to and during contact. After the first step has been taken, a longer crossover step using the trail leg to increase the length of the step should follow, attempting to maintain the relationship between the knees and the feet. This portion of the maneuver should also resemble a running stance. Also remember that the arms are not going to conjoin until they are needed so they should remain unattached and be used to aid the athlete in maintaining a natural running motion. When the athlete is ready to contact the ball the shoulders should begin to be adjusted (angled) to form the correct angle of incidence, flexing forward and away from the body. The angular adjustment can be made by elevating the shoulder farthest away from target area. This should take place during the crossover portion of the move to facilitate redirecting the ball with the appropriate spin. Many players will be tempted to rotate the hips or swing the platform to pass the ball towards the target, however, if the correct angle of incidence is formed prior to contact the ball will simply have to be deflected to redirect the ball to the desired area of court. Because of the speed used to pursue the ball and the body s vertical relationship with the ball and the ground, the body after contact will naturally begin to fall forward initiating a recovery roll. To successfully and safely execute the recovery move, one more additional step will be taken to allow the body to regain equilibrium (balance) to begin the roll. Place the right foot (flexed) in front of the left preparing to roll to the right and the left foot (flexed) in front of the right preparing to roll to the left. Often times the inefficiency of the first step of a forward defensive move compromises the opportunity to make routine digs because of an athlete s inability to execute basic running patterns. Players switching their feet, hopping, throwing the legs behind the body, or falling, waste energy and time, often increasing the space between themselves and the ball, consequently making a routine play more difficult than necessary. When training these techniques emphasize the importance of visual calmness and how the head regulates how the body reacts after the ball is struck, especially when digging in close proximity to the net. Also stress how important consistent footwork behaviors increase the athlete s ability to consume larger areas of court. I recommend simulating these maneuvers

6 without the ball first to allow the athlete to develop the necessary flexibility that facilitates muscle memory.