ARTICLES, TIPS, TRAINING & GENERAL ADVICE

Girls Volleyball 101-Overhead Passing

by Phil, December 30, 2007

I played basketball and football almost every day as a kid. I love sports, so when one of the parents approached me about coaching volleyball for the Boys and Girls Club, I jumped at the chance. This would give me the opportunity to combine my love of sports and spending time with my daughter. I began to research volleyball, trying to breakdown the sport to come up with some effective drills to help the girls improve their game.

Over the weekend I spent 10 hours in a volleyball clinic - a 3 hour session for coaches, and two 3.5 hour sessions for players (I went to the two sessions for 7th grade through High School players). I decided I would do a brain dump of all the things I remember - both for myself and for any other coaches who might benefit. This information is free - take it for what it’s worth.

This article is about Overhead Passing (aka setting):

There are four major keys for overhead passing:

Arrive (Hop to the Spot)

• The player should arrive at the spot before the volleyball.
• The player should plant their feet as they arrive so that it gives them a solid base (this looks like a little hop)
• Legs should be bent giving the player a lower center of gravity - hence more balance

Face the Target

• The players “nose” and “toes” should point toward where they want to pass the ball.
• This is different from forearm passing where the player faces the direction the ball came from.

Have ball shaped hands

• The hands should be molded to fit the ball.
• Thumbs should be facing each other.
• Hands should be positioned at about the hairline.
• Hands should go up early - as soon as the player’s feet stop.

Have a quick release

• The quicker the release, the farther the ball will go.
• The power comes from hands, elbows, and shoulders - not the legs.
• A great drill for practicing overhead passing is to have the player sit on the floor and pass.

Sources:
Volleyball Clinic Put On By Western Washington University
Winning Volleyball For Girls, by Deborah W. Crisfield and Mark Gola
Volleyball Steps To Success, by Barbara L. Viera and Bonnie Jill Ferguson

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