Hands 6-12- Above & In Front of Forehead Place the Arms in a Partially Extended Starting Position
Hands 6-12- Above & In Front of Forehead Place the Arms in a Partially Extended Starting Position

Volleyball: Limit Arm Movement When Setting the Volleyball

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com

Too much extension of the arms is a common error among beginners learning to set the volleyball. A long movement of the arms minimizes the use of elastic stretch in the hands and wrists, and also reduces a setter's finesse and touch.

In fact, your setters' power, touch and finesse will improve if they use a limited arm action, combined with a quick, plyometric snap of the hands and wrists.

You can ensure that your students' arm movement is limited by using the following beginning arm position in anticipation of the approaching ball.

Optimal Arm Position
As the ball approaches, have your setters place their hands six-to-twelve inches above and in front of their forehead. This partially extends their arms, eliminating full  arm extension as a means of applying power to the ball and placing the onus on a snap of the wrists and hands.

Hands that start at the nose, chin or even lower will allow greater extension of the arms.

As setter gets stronger, the hands can be positioned even farther away from the forehead (i.e. 12-14 inches or more) so more wrist and less arms are used.

Reference: Bond Shymanksy, Gettin' Better! 40 Tips for Better Setting & Defending. Championship Productions, DVD, 2006. http://www.championshipproductions.com

Screenshot photo was provided courtesy of Championship Productions.


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