Ball Control versus Ball Manipulation: Part 2 Written by Andre Christopher Gonzalez Friday, May 20, 2005 A treatise by a leading expert on the subject Understanding the Angles There are a variety of passing techniques and theories: linear and non-linear, tanden, punch, and those techniques relying on the angles of elevation, incidence, and reflection. Each of these theories has been tested and modified since the 1950s and 60s; by the great Japanese coaches Yamada and Diamatsu, to the Arie Sellinger era of Debbie Green, Flo Hyman and Sue Woodstra, to the more-recent and highly-successful Toshi Yoshida quadrennial. All of these styles, although different in theory and application, rely on aspects of geometry and physics. No matter how hard we try, the laws of geometry and physics are irrefutable, and an understanding of these theories is essential when training for ball manipulation. It is important that our athletes are cognizant of how the angles of incidence and reflection regulate the ball s horizontal and vertical speeds, and spin after contact. Angle of Reflection Imagine a player standing in the traditional service area holding a flashlight. The server points the beam of light toward a passer standing in the left back position holding a mirror, hips and shoulders facing the direction of the server. Using the mirror to reflect the light to the target area would simply require raising the left shoulder higher than the right, creating the correct angle of incidence to reflect the beam of light towards the target (assuming the athlete is maintaining the correct body alignment and hip positioning). The point at which the beam makes contact with the reflecting surface (mirror) is the called the angle of incidence. The angle between a line perpendicular to the surface after contact is called the angle of reflection. One of the few basketball players to exercise control over these concepts is Tim Duncan. His ability to use the backboard makes him a scoring threat from a variety of depths. Effectively using the backboard requires shooting the ball with the correct amount of velocity (which will depend on depth),
and an understanding of how the correct angle of incidence along the backboard will yield the appropriate reflection angle to deflect the ball into the basket. A stable or constant angle of incidence (backboard or platform) gives us the best chance to achieve the correct angle of reflection. Other receiving and defensive techniques allow vertical and/or horizontal swinging of the platform or rotation of the hips. Unless a player is blessed with an unusual sense of timing, swinging the platform or rotating the hips (which ultimately leads to shoulder rotation) compounds the amount of variables they have to control. Imagine Tim Duncan attempting a bankshot while the backboard is fluxing up and down or side to side. This would make judging the correct speed and angle of incidence very difficult. We would all agree that shooting a bankshot with the hips and shoulders squared to the basket is much easier than having to perform a turn-around bankshot. This would require the rotation of both the hips and shoulders while having to negotiate the correct speed and deflection angle in the air. Many athletes platforms flux in each of these directions; as a result they have to contend with a greater number of variables than necessary. Remember that we are not simply discussing passing, or passing to the target, but rather teaching our athletes to have total control over how the ball reaches the setter. Pursuing the Ball The next step requires training the appropriate footwork. Athletes must be trained to consume the areas they are responsible for as efficiently as possible while maintaining the prescribed body alignment. To pursue the ball with the correct alignment, the athlete must shuffle with both feet to maintain a (base) width conducive to contacting the ball while balanced. Most coaches choose to teach shuffle steps but neglect to discuss the relationship between the width of the base and the center of gravity during pursuit. Maintaining the correct body alignment ensures that the center of gravity does not flux during pursuit and contact. This aids in contacting the ball in a consistent elevated angle. To control the ball s trajectory, contact must be done with the athlete s center of gravity (bellybutton) just below the ball. Evaluate this positioning from a vertical perspective (see picture). Many coaches would agree that pursuing the ball in a flexed position, with the feet straight and slightly wider than shoulder width apart, gives an athlete the best chance to deflect the ball with balance. Unfortunately, many
athletes move toward the ball pushing only with one leg (usually the one furthest from the ball), which propels the center of gravity up and down and makes it very difficult to accurately anticipate potential contact depth. The closer the athlete s feet get during pursuit the more likely contact will be made in the first or third plane. Shuffling incorrectly causes the passer to waste time moving vertically up and down instead of horizontally, usually resulting in poor recognition of the ball s flight pattern. This also interferes with the timing of when to form the platform. With both feet equally participating, a passer is able to maintain correct body position, allowing for balanced contact. Shuffling should be performed with the base slightly wider than shoulder width apart and with the shoulders relaxed. This allows the athlete to comfortably adjust the platform in case the ball elevates or drops at the last moment. Movement patterns should be specific, efficient, and conform to the alignment I discussed earlier. the training of how to maneuver the shoulders to form the platform. The platform should begin to form flexing (forward) at the shoulders (this will increase the length of the platform), followed by connecting the elbows, and finally gripping the hands with the wrists pointed down. Much of how the shoulders operate is predicated on how the lower body adjusts to the ball s flight pattern. One of the keys to making necessary platform adjustments is beginning preparation of the lower body immediately after the ball is struck. This allows the upper body to operate with less rigidity. Many receivers wait until the ball has passed the plane of the net before making depth or shoulder adjustments. This causes the athlete to panic and prematurely grip the hands. Late recognition also forces the passer and/or defender to negotiate the ball s horizontal speed in a condensed period of time. Beyond early lower body and time-sensitive shoulder adjustments, much of the attention should be directed toward training the athlete to know when to conjoin the arms. This requires the training of how to judge the ball s horizontal speed (in relationship to potential contact depth), and how to coordinate the timing between pursuing the ball and forming the platform. Many players move with their arms together attempting to track the ball. This does not allow the lower and upper body to coordinate and work independently of one another. Notice that I prescribe lower body adjustments before upper body modifications. Moving with your arms together makes it very difficult to adjust to erratic flight patterns and is a primary reason why athletes rotate their hips. For example, imagine a ball traveling with above-average horizontal speed to the left of the receiver or defender. Given that the direction of flight is immediately recognizable (after the ball is struck), the athlete should realize
that conjoining the platform anywhere other than over the left thigh, for example the core (which would require hip and shoulder rotation if the ball is traveling faster than anticipated), would not allow the athlete to comfortably create the appropriate angle of incidence. Raising one shoulder higher than the other to create the correct angle of incidence (some coaches use the terms drop or tilt ) is the first step to forming the platform. These minor adjustments should be made during pursuit. The next step requires the meeting of the elbows (between the right or left thigh) away from the torso in the angle that will yield the appropriate reflection angle. Finally the hands should grip with the thumbs aligned, wrists pointed down (this brings the elbows closer together to ensure a stable deflection and then held together until the ball s reflection angle has been decided. Again, shoulder adjustments should take place immediately after the ball is served; preparing to conjoin the arms should take place when the ball is approximately one meter away from the receiver. If done any earlier, the lower body will not be able to operate efficiently. A good rule to remember is the more efficient the athlete is during pursuit the less their platform has to do to redirect the ball. In some instances, players appearing to be moving efficiently inadvertently shank the ball. This is usually the result of the platform and/or hands separating during contact. The arms and/or hands should not break or come apart during contact because the forearms are likely to rotate and compromise the angle of incidence. The arms and hands should remain connected until after the ball is halfway to the target. that are traveling toward the core of the body, but a large number of players have difficulty passing balls traveling with great horizontal velocity to either side of the body because the shoulders are not used properly to create the correct angles of incidence. To reiterate, prematurely forming the platform (usually at the core) causes the hips to rotate and forces the athletes to swing the platform towards the target in an effort to redirect the ball. Imagine teaching a child to pass a free ball. One of the first things we do is tell them to put their hands together and then attempt to toss a ball that they feel comfortable passing. If the ball is tossed directly toward the core contact is inevitable. Now imagine tossing the ball with greater speed to either side of the child. If she/he is not taught to step toward the ball keeping arms independent of one another (prior to contact), the child will most likely rotate the shoulders and hips using a swinging action to redirect the ball back to the tosser. If contact is made, an errant deflection to the side of the body (away from the tosser) where the ball was tossed is likely.
Athletes at a young age should be trained to move first, and then taught to maneuver the arms. -linear techniques that promote swinging or mobilizing the platform outside the body, as the vast majority of deflections using the triangular technique are made between the left and right thigh. The arms can prepare to meet in the angle of incidence immediately after the ball is struck and during pursuit, but should not form until just prior to contact. Some good rules for receivers to follow include: making quick and decisive lower body adjustments (with the prescribed base width) after the ball is served, moving toward the ball with relaxed and independent levers, and conjoining the arms just prior to contact in the appropriate angle of incidence (away from the torso, approximately 14-17 inches from elbows to thigh). Adhering to the following (serve receive) sequence will allow the lower body to consume the designated area of responsibility naturally and efficiently without disrupting the upper body s ability to create the necessary reflection angles: 1. Identify where along the endline the server will serve. 2. Know the beginning position of your setter. This may require passing the ball with more vertical speed if the setter has to travel from the left side of the court. 3. Identify the type of serve and past tendencies of the server. 4. After ball is struck, begin lower body and shoulder adjustments while maintaining vision of the bottom of the ball. 5. Move to ball (in correct alignment with the prescribed base width) and begin to negotiate angle of incidence. 6. Conjoin arms (in correct angle of incidence) just prior to contact away from the body with the correct body alignment. 7. Finish the action (shuffle) after contact (I will discuss the finishing move later in the article). Coordinated Independence and Defensive Preparation Compared to serve receive, an athlete must contend with a greater number of variables when defending including: condensed reaction time, more shallow contact depths, angle of the ball struck, depth of the attacker, greater horizontal speed, stable and/or porous block, deflections, spacing and responsibility relationships with other defenders. Accuracy and precision is ultimately predicated on the athlete s ability to quickly recognize and anticipate how a play will unfold and then have the ability to perform a variety of explosive and balanced moves to redirect the ball.
In order to teach defense effectively, an understanding of how the arms interact with the legs during pursuit is essential. In the section dedicated to platform preparation I discussed the need to make quick and decisive postcontact adjustments. Making these adjustments can only be accomplished if the defender has positioned herself (balanced) in an area conducive to maintaining vision of the ball and attacker. This is especially important when athletes are attempting to manipulate a ball traveling with great horizontal velocity or when having to change direction after an attacked ball has been deflected. Imagine a defender positioning herself in the line of flight (of an attacked ball) anticipating the potential contact depth to the right of the block. Now imagine the block causing an errant deflection that forces the player to pursue the ball in the opposite direction. The ability to change direction and make a rhythmic defensive deflection (much like the elevated serve) requires both lower and upper body adjustments (the lower body used to change direction and the upper body to redirect the ball). In this instance the defender would rely on what I call coordinated independence. Coordinated independence is best exemplified by a soccer goalkeeper. For example, during a penalty kick the goalie must negotiate several of the variables a volleyball defender encounters including: the lack of control of when the ball will be struck, the angle at which the ball will arrive in the area to be defended, and the ball s horizontal speed. One of the luxuries the goalie is afforded is the opportunity to bring the ball to rest by catching it if becomes necessary (given the context of the play). Be that as it may, both athletes must be able to consume areas of court or field using the lower body to position themselves in a stance conducive to either catching or deflecting the ball. Moving with a prematurely formed platform or attempting to gauge the ball s trajectory with the hands together does not allow the lower and upper body to coordinate their efforts efficiently. This is especially true when balls travel at greater speeds. In volleyball, much like soccer, the athlete is more likely to defend the ball successfully if the lower body is allowed to make explosive movements without upper body (lever) interference. Assuming the athlete is systemically disciplined, the following is a (general) sequence that will allow the athlete to efficiently negotiate the ball s speed, potential landing depths, and decide what technique to employ: 1. Always assume that there are at least four (4) attackers who have the potential to score, and be cognizant of what position they may attack from. 2. Recognize if the setter is in the frontcourt or backcourt and how the setter will arrive to the net. For example, if the setter is penetrating
from the right side (left front or left back) of the court, this would make it difficult to set a first tempo set (behind the setter) if the pass is coming from behind the setter unless the ball arrives with the appropriate horizontal and vertical speeds. This will help eliminate what the setter feels comfortable setting. 3. Anticipate first tempo sets and how the block might react. 4. Identify the depth (in relationship to the net) of second tempo attackers. This will help decide what depth to defend. 5. Anticipate adjustments when defending behind an unstable block and how the ball might penetrate the designed area of responsibility. Do your best to defend on the side of the block and not behind it. This will allow for better vision. 6. Anticipate defending behind for a stable block, even if it occurs at the last moment. 7. Move flexed, with independent arms, and be prepared to run if the ball changes direction or has the potential to fall in a shallow part of the court. 8. Use a finishing move or action (in the prescribed body alignment) to manipulate the ball s speed and/or spin. 9. Sprint to coverage responsibility. Of course no two defensive scenarios are ever the same, but following these guidelines will prepare the defender to react efficiently and exercise the appropriate technique according to each situation. Ball Absorption Athletes must be taught to contact the ball with the correct body alignment, be well-versed in the geometrical laws that predict angles of reflection, trained to perform a variety of footwork patterns, and know when and how to prepare the platform adhering to the rules of coordinated independence. Finally, an understanding of the physical laws that govern ball absorption must be taught. An understanding of linear momentum, conservation, and one-dimensional collisions is critical when training athletes to manipulate balls traveling with greater velocity. If not absorbed correctly balls with great horizontal velocity are likely to either travel over the net and/or put the setter in awkward positions resulting in predictable set selections. I will refer to these absorption techniques as finishing actions or finishing moves. An understanding of how to manipulate momentum and spin are essential skills needed to develop serve receive and transition rhythm. Linear momentum is the measure of the ball s tendency to move at a constant speed along a straight line. In volleyball terms this is predicated on two quantities: the speed of the ball served or attacked, and the mass of the
ball. Conservation refers to the maintenance of the ball s linear momentum after contact. The regulation of the ball s energy after contact predicts how the ball will travel to the net. A one-dimensional collision implies that the ball is not met with any upward swinging motion, thus relying on the ball s kinetic energy after deflection (creating one collision) to propel the ball in the desired reflection angle. Unlike a hard-driven ball, most free ball passes are two-dimensional collisions, requiring a slight stroke to increase the balls energy after contact to reach the target. To conceptualize a one-dimensional collision, imagine taking a ball and throwing it into the ground. If the force (ground/platform) acting on the object (ball) is zero, then the ball s momentum is equally conserved after contact because no energy was added; hence an equal amount of energy is still in the ball. In other words if the ball (at contact) is not met with any upward platform force (swing) the amount of the ball s energy after contact is equal to the measure of energy prior to contact until gravity pulls on the ball. This takes place after the ball reaches its apex. Understanding this concept is important because our athletes must learn how to concurrently conserve enough of the ball s energy to reach the target without causing an overpass. There are a variety of absorption techniques, including: lower body finishing moves, platform retraction techniques (used to absorb balls with higher horizontal speeds in close proximity to the net), the backroll, and a hybrid of a lower body finishing move and platform retraction. I will discuss the lower body finishing move and retraction technique. Achieving the delicate balance between deflecting the ball at the desired speeds without overpassing requires an understanding of how momentum, conservation, and one dimensional collisions operate together. In order to utilize these techniques effectively, one of the variables to keep in mind is the depth at which the deflection may take place. Remember that contact at specific depths require specific deflection/absorption techniques. Lower body finishing moves adhere to the following maxims: absorbing the ball s energy is done with the lower body first and the direction of the finishing move is to be completed in line of linear momentum. For example, imagine a serve originating from the traditional service area moving towards zones 6 and 1 with above average horizontal speed. To contact the ball in a balanced position requires the athlete to consume an area of court (from zone 6 to zone 1) at an angle with the correct body alignment. After contact the athlete should continue to finish the shuffle movement in the same line the ball is traveling while maintaining the prescribed alignment. These additional shuffle steps after contact help
absorb the ball s energy and increases the backspin that regulates the ball s energy before reaching its apex. The amount of shuffle steps after contact is predicated on how much of the ball s energy must be conserved and/or absorbed to reach the target. Imagine the ball s linear momentum continuing through the body, and then completing the (shuffling) action along the same line. This must be done by shuffling with both feet and without rotating the hips or increasing the angle of elevation until after the angle of reflection has been decided. In an instance when the attacked or served ball is traveling with great horizontal velocity (and a greater amount of the balls energy must be absorbed), a combination of lower body finishing moves must be tempered with a platform retraction technique, especially at depths in close proximity to the net. For example, a topspin jump serve by Zoila Barros (CUB), Elise Togut (ITA), or Lioubov Kilic (RUS) may travel upwards of 100 km/h. Depending on the angle and distance (into the court) from which the ball is struck, and the angles of elevation and incidence (during deflection) the ball may reach the target area in as little as 1.2 seconds. Perhaps we have not reached these speeds at the top 18 and under or college levels, but our athletes are getting stronger and these speeds may be on the horizon. It is important for our athletes to be able to modify and/or combine techniques to prevent overpasses when faced with balls traveling at great speeds. Receiving a topspin jump serve with above average horizontal speed is a terrific opportunity to manipulate the ball s vertical speed after contact because its flight pattern is more predictable than a float serve. In some instances the topspin jump serve can work against a team that chooses this style of serve because receiving a ball with a predictable flight pattern, regardless of speed, is easier to pass than a ball with an erratic flight pattern. Nevertheless, balls traveling at above average horizontal speed will most likely require a lower body finish move and platform retraction. Before we teach a retraction technique athletes must be trained to execute a high percentage of digs in the correct body alignment and away from the body in order to reserve room between the platform and trunk to retract the arms. If your players are prone to deflecting the ball close to the torso this technique may have adverse results. The goal of this technique is to increase the amount of reverse, side, or three-quarter spin to force the ball s momentum to decrease while traveling to the net. The retraction should be done immediately after contact is felt on the platform. Imagine having to catch an egg traveling with above average horizontal speed with both hands. The retraction of the arms and hands
immediately after contact with the egg combined with a lower body finish move should be used to absorb the egg s energy to prevent it from cracking. This technique should only be trained in a context that requires the athlete to absorb the ball s energy to prevent an overpass. Athletes sometimes use this technique to control serves or attacks with minimal linear momentum, and as a result deflect balls that do not reach the target. This is especially true when the pass or dig is made with the shoulders behind the knees. The arm retraction is a setter-friendly maneuver if the athlete is trained to understand when it is the appropriate technique given the context of the play.