One of the most important volleyball skills for defense is the eye sequence Ball Setter Ball Hitter. This is a foundational skill for both front row defense and back row defense. It is interesting to watch the eye work of teams to see if they are following this basic pattern. Some defenders will make the play in spite of watching the wrong things. Ball Setter Ball Hitter is something that should be drilled into teams, and regularly checked for and reinforced.
The first Ball in Ball Setter Ball Hitter is to watch the ball after serve receive or a dig. The defensive player watches the ball as it travels from the passer to the setter. A number of things can be determined by the ball’s path. The defensive player should be able to know where the setter will need to be to set the ball. Will the setter be able to set from the base offensive position? Will the setter be off the net? Will the setter have to jump to set, or will the ball come over the net? Is the ball travelling in a high or low arc? Will any of these influence the decisions the setter can make? Will they be in their offensive system? With a good pass the setter is going to have a lot of options. With a bad pass, the setter may only have one solid option. The defensive players should know this about when the ball reaches the apex of its path to the setter.
As soon as the defensive player knows what can be learned from the pass, eyes go to the setter. The defensive players watch the setter for any cues as to where the set will go. A lot of setters will have different body language leading up to a front set or back set. Defensive players watching the setter can get an early idea of where the ball is going and what they will need to do to make a play. This step could gain more significance with scouting. Scouting could shed some light on tendencies and other visual cues.
The second Ball in Ball Setter Ball Hitter is to watch the ball after the set. Like the first Ball, the defensive player watches the ball as it travels from setter to hitter. Again a number of things can be determined from the ball’s path. What hitter is being set? Is the set close to the net, or even going over the net? Is the set off the net? Is it inside? Is it outside? Is it low or high? With a good set the hitter is going to be able to swing with a good approach. The hitter will have more options for ball placement. With a bad set the hitter might only be able to hit in one direction. The hitter might only be able to tip. Again the defensive players should know this when the ball reaches the apex of it path to the hitter.
As soon as the defensive player knows who is hitting, eyes go to the hitter. If there is a complete lapse and Ball Setter Ball Hitter is not fully followed, the defensive players should at least watch the hitter. Too often eyes linger on the ball too much after the pass and after the set. Too often blockers will jump to make a block attempt and their focus is entirely on the ball. Watching the hitter will tell a lot more than watching the ball. Foremost is the hitter’s approach. Hitters usually will hit along the line of their approach. Blockers getting in the line of the approach will make a bigger impact on their likelihood of getting a block touch, and to do that they need to be watching the hitter. Beyond that the hitter could give some cues with body language as to where the hit will go. Some hitters will have a different swing when hitting line and cross court. More often than that hitters will have different swings when hitting and tipping. Scouting could give an idea of hitter tendencies as well.
Players can get a better feel for where they need to be by focusing on the Ball Setter Ball Hitter eye work. Coaches should check for Ball Setter Ball Hitter from time to time. It’s a simple thing, and it should be the foundation of the defensive game.
Volleyball Basics are intended to present some of the fundamental volleyball knowledge that everyone serious about the sport should know.
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