Choosing a Blocking Style: The Conventional Block Versus the Swing Block Written by Andre Christopher Gonzalez Tuesday, July 12, 2005 Introduction: Recently more and more collegiate and club teams have started to employ the swing block. Coaches have become enamored with scoring quick and easy blocking points and believe the use of this technique can help their teams score more points. Also referred to as dynamic blocking, swing blocking is a technique where a blocker uses an abbreviated jumping maneuver, featuring a swinging of the arms, hips and shoulders, in an effort to create more force off the ground to square higher over the net. Swing blocking was developed to allow stronger, taller male players to generate more force from the ground to jump higher to defend against the potential vertical angles created by those attackers capable of striking the ball at a higher ceiling. One of the major differences between blocking in the men s game versus the women s game is that men, because of their height, strength and jumping ability, are more capable of consuming larger areas along the net in shorter periods of time and can reach over the net faster and farther than most women. Women spend more time pursuing the ball (especially against faster sets) and take longer to leave the ground. As a result blocking successfully in the women s game is often predicated on the ability of the block to front their hitters and place their hands low and over the net. With that said, it is safe to say that the ability to square high over the net in the men s game greatly influences the rate of blocking success, whereas blocking success in the women s game is more influenced by the ability to defend just above the net because a great number of balls are struck at a much lower ceiling. At the highest (women s) levels, sets are made with greater horizontal velocity (especially behind the setter) to multiple first tempo attacks which can make the frequent use of the swing block against first tempo sets both impractical and unpredictable. The best teams operate and react with systemic and technical structure and flexibility to the stimuli presented in a given play. The swing block like any other technique or system should be used (appropriately) to defend against specific contextual circumstances.
An effective blocking system in women s volleyball is one that balances the use of the conventional block to defend against faster attacks and/or sets and multiple hitters and the swing block to defend against higher out-ofsystem sets (either in front or behind the setter) to increase the number of opportunities to block for points and/or create good deflections. When To Use The Conventional Style The conventional style (starting in a semi-flexed, stationary position, with hands in neutral position, a 70-degree ankle bend, jumping straight up) of blocking in women s volleyball is the most effective technique when defending against first tempo sets and sets traveling with greater horizontal speed because it eliminates many of the timing variables between the block and the attacker. If done correctly this technique can reduce the space created between the blockers (prior to jumping), can make it easier to adjust to errant sets, and can allow peripheral defenders to position themselves around the block more quickly. The conventional technique should be used when the ball has been passed in first-tempo rhythm, when there is the potential for single or multiple first tempo attackers, faster sets behind the setter, and when the set is traveling with greater horizontal speed to outside attackers. When to Use The Swing Block The swing block can be broken down into a two or three step approach; in either case the technique begins with an athletic and flexed stance with the arms in a neutral position prepared to pursue the set. It is a single motion maneuver that uses force generated from the ground combined with the swinging energy generated from the hips, shoulders and arms (similar to the attack approach) to elevate the blocker. The appropriate use of this technique is dependent on the visual and/or contextual information decoded by the blockers after the ball has been passed. After the ball has been passed, blockers should collectively decide what type of set the setter is capable of executing, and in the case of an outof-system play begin pursuit toward the anticipated hitting zone. Those teams choosing to use this style often start in a bunch position at the net whereby the two wing attackers and/or setter and the center player begin in
the middle of the court and use a series of crossover steps to pursue the ball prior to jumping. This technique is most effective (in the women s game) when first tempo sets in front and behind the setter, and faster backcourt attacks are no longer available and the setter is forced to set a ball with greater vertical speed. Contextual Variables to Consider When Deciding Which Technique is Most Appropriate The best setters concurrently minimize the number of variables (i.e. inside, trap or wide sets) attackers contend with before striking the ball, while forcing blockers to deal with a greater number of visual and timing variables prior to jumping to block, including: how to defend the dump, accounting for a number of potential attackers, and reacting to the speed and location of the set. Likewise attackers also present a set of variables the block must take into consideration before pursuing the ball and leaving the ground, including: how and when they will strike the ball, shoulder angle, how they will use their shoulders and hips to generate power, how they place their hand on the ball, and how they choose to disguise changing speeds or tipping. In both examples control over the variables preceding setter and hitter contact is minimal, thus making the ability to visually predict what type of set can be made, combined with choosing and physically executing the appropriate technique, the keys to blocking effectively. Blocking is a skill that yields high levels of unpredictable outcomes because athletes have little contextual and physical control over almost all of the opposition variables prior to contact. Success is dependent upon the rhythm, timing, and spatial relationships of multiple athletes. Needless to say accounting for and decoding the visual and contextual information after the ball has been received is vital. The most successful men s teams are cognizant of the context in which using the swing block technique is both prudent and practical. For example, the backcourt pipe attack in men s collegiate and international competition has become a first tempo attack ; using the conventional style allows multiple blockers to minimize the amount of space between each blocker (between the shoulders) the attacker can penetrate. Similarly, in an instance where a received ball is errantly passed to an area of court that forces a setter to set a higher ball to either antennae, this may prompt blockers to utilize the swing technique because they are afforded ample time (because out-ofsystem sets generally are set with greater vertical speed) to maneuver along the net and use this technique to form their block.
An Abstract Example: Less is More When developing a blocking technique or choosing a style for your team the main focus should center around reducing the amount of visual and timing variables prior to leaving the ground. For example, imagine a blocker standing at the net extending her arms (towards the top of the net) with a breadboard in her hands creating a 75-80 degree angle. If we were able to use the breadboard, blocking would be considerably easier, we could simply move in front of the attacker with the hips and shoulders square and slide the board across the net just prior to contact. Regardless of how fast the ball is set or when and how the attacker will swing, the chances of blocking the ball are greater because the block has less to negotiate. Now imagine taking that same breadboard and using a swinging technique to maneuver the board over the net to defend a faster set. In this case the speed and location of the set, how and when the attacker chooses to swing, the shoulder angle of the hitter and several other variables will have to be negotiated to predict the precise timing needed to swing the board (over the net) to seal just prior to contact. Some Objectives of Each Style In women s volleyball blocking higher does not always equate to a greater rate of blocking success. Many points are scored after the ball has made contact with the net; which is a good indication that attackers are not making contact anywhere near what they can reach. With that said, one of the objectives of the conventional style of blocking is to defend a great number of balls that travel low across the net (first red or second white on the antennae) with the shoulders and hips squared to the attacker before the ball is struck. We would all lose track if we attempted to count the number of times a ball has bounced off the net and landed on our side of the court and said how did that ball not get blocked! But a great number of college and club athletes strike the ball 4-7 inches above the net and opportunities to block and/or create good deflections are squandered because blockers fail to front their attackers with their shoulders and hips squared to the net, securing the area just above the top of the net before contact is made. One of the other benefits of the conventional style is the potential for multiple blockers to occupy similar areas along the net without creating
space between each other. One of the objectives of blocking in general is to eliminate the space between the net and the blockers and the blockers themselves. This is accomplished by making contact with other blockers. The best blockers and blocking teams attempt to limit the amount of space between themselves and the net and themselves with the other blockers by making shoulder and/or hip contact in the air prior to the ball being struck. This eliminates some of the area an attacker can penetrate. The conventional style offers the best chance to eliminate space between the blockers, allowing players to create and maintain contact because the athletes begin, adjust, and leave the ground in closer proximity to each other (especially against faster sets) than they would if they were to use a swing block technique. This allows peripheral defenders to make quick and decisive positioning decisions without having to defend the space between the block, thus being able to eliminate some of the potential positioning decisions and/or outcomes if space between the block existed. In contrast one of the objectives of the swing block is to generate more force off the ground in an effort to increase the vertical speed of the blockers. Simply said it is used to facilitate squaring or fronting the attacker at a higher point over the net. Coaches may also use this technique to allow their players to exercise the use of their own athleticism and/or physical ability, utilizing a more dynamic maneuver in hopes of making contact with the ball that either yields a deflection that is difficult to cover or creating a deflection that can be easily pursued. In either case the attraction remains the potential of blockers to control the net at a higher point. Another objective of the swing block technique is to keep the hands over the net longer. Using this technique requires the athlete to jump earlier than they might using the conventional style in an effort to force the attacker to make a quicker decision as to where they will attack the ball across the net. This puts the attacker at a considerable disadvantage because it allows peripheral defenders to quickly anticipate the depth at which the ball may arrive in their area of responsibility. Many hitters in the women s game are not forced to make time-sensitive timing or striking decisions because the hands of the block are not made visually available until long after the direction which the attacker will strike the ball has been decided. In the men s game having the hands over the net prior to contact is a prerequisite to blocking and defending the ball successfully because attackers leave the ground much faster, are in the air for longer periods of time, and are capable of attacking radical angles.
Conclusion If all attackers hit the ball with a predictable and/or technically correct arm swing, consistently approached the ball with the same rhythm and speed, and always attacked the angle they were facing, the swing block would be the most effective style because blockers would not have to negotiate any variables prior to contact and it would allow them to intercept the ball at a higher point. Unfortunately, most attackers do not hit the ball with the same rhythm and speed, many have unpredictable arm swings, and as a result attackers strike the ball in a variety of spatial windows, which makes efficiently and effectively penetrating the net a difficult proposition. This is why so few balls are blocked during a match. When deciding which style to teach first evaluate the physical ability of your athletes to perform the maneuvers needed to execute the desired style including: footwork patterns, ability to coordinate the upper and lower body levers, and the ability of multiple athletes to efficiently move in sync. Second, evaluate their ability to visually recognize and react to specific contextual stimuli by placing the athletes in a controlled environment where they can be trained to predict the potential outcomes of a variety of plays. Finally, decide on which style or technique your team will use to defend a particular type of set or circumstance. Remember that each style can produce positive results if used with conservation and practicality. The key to an effective blocking technique and/ or system like any other skill or system is predicated on a team s ability to operate with balance, structure, and flexibility.