Setting
The wonderful skill we call setting has haunted some with a loathsome curse. The words "I can't set", "My hands are like meat hooks", or "I'm a hitter not a setter" (from the 'lover not a fighter' line) have been heard in gyms and on the beach since this game started. It has even become common courtesy to make a "whoa" sound after a non-setter sets the ball on the opposing team. Sometimes our team's timing on this courtesy is a little off causing our "whoa" to start before the player touches the ball, however, we've been practicing a lot on this during the week. Subsequently, setting is a domain some refuse to enter for fear of failure, being ridiculed, or simply fear of a disappointing moment of poor execution. What can we do to eleviate this tension? How can we convince Tim Hovland that he can set, too? Read on. What is best thing you can do to learn how to set? Answer: repetition. After I had convinced my friend that the only way he was ever going to learn how to set was to try and use his hands in pick-up games, he slowly became one of the best setters I know. I convinced him to ignore all of the comments from the opposing team and just set the ball. He was such a bad setter at first that we would call every bad set we made a "spice-set"--his American name is Spice. The lesson here is that if Spice learned to set the ball, and he does it very well, then there is simply no excuse for anyone not learning how--trust me.
Hand Position
Put your hands above your head and put your index fingers and your thumbs together. Now you should be looking through a "window" that these fingers make. Position your hands so that if a ball small enough to go through your "window" went through the center of it, the ball would hit you right between the eyes. Now put your other fingers together (keeping them straight and only touching at the finger tips--down to the first knuckle). As you pull your fingers apart, you will feel as though a ball would fit in between your hands perfectly as they become a certain distance apart. This distance will be the position you will start your hands in before you contact the ball. If you are having trouble finding this position, grab a ball and decide that way.
Hand Action
The ball should only contact your fingers and never the palm of your hand. The points of contact on your fingers when setting the ball should be similiar to the contact points when you had your hands together earlier. The ball should contact your thumbs and first two fingers with an equal amount of force, while your last two fingers on both hands may contact the ball sometimes (for extra control), but with less force. Therefore, do not pull your last two fingers back out of the way--keep them there for those sets that will require more control on the release.
The real "action" takes place in your wrists. The more flexible your wrists are and the stronger and faster your forearm muscles are, the better setter you will be. Your elbows should be slightly bent at the time of contact with the ball (about the angle you bend your arms to type) and your hands should be in the ready position we discussed earlier as the ball contacts your fingers. You should be able to lay on your back and hold the ball in your hands (which are in the ready position) and move only your wrists to throw the ball a few inches into the air--of course, you'll have to adjust the angle of your arms so that the ball won't shoot behind you, but will go straight up in the air and land back in your hands.
Throw the ball with your wrists only, catching the ball back in your hands and pausing to make sure that the ball lands softly and your hands are in the correct position at the time of contact. In order to allow the ball to land softly, you must time the contact in such a way as to retract your wrists at the same speed the ball is coming--kind of like a trampoline will softly catch you as you land. After you are skilled at the down portion of this "trampoline" movement, we can stop pausing for quite as long before you throw the ball back into the air. Work at this only using wrist movements (don't use your arms yet). Keep doing this drill until there is no slapping sound when the ball hits your hands. After you have the timing down for this wrist movement, we can move on to the arm action.
Arm Action
While still laying on your back (don't worry, we'll eventually stand up), start the movements described earlier--throw the ball with only your wrists and "trampoline" the ball back into the air softly. The arm action starts as the wrists move to throw the ball back into the air--not before this moment. Don't make the mistake of cushioning the ball with your wrists and arms--this will constitute a "throw" in the volleyball world. As your push with your wrists to release the ball, extend your arms simultaneously. As you do this, the ball will go much higher requiring you to become even better at cushioning the ball as it lands in your hands (which, of course, are in ready position). As your timing gets better, your action of hands, wrists, and arms become smoother and more controlled. I still do this drill to improve my touch on the ball.
Stand Up and Be Confident, Young Jedi!
Now it's time to get on your feet and use your skills. But first, you have to listen to my personal success story (deal with it). Before the Christmas of 1993, I decided that my current style of setting would never get me to the next level. I had been setting without the use of my right thumb--don't ask me how i did it, but I was one of the best setters in my region even with that awkward technique. So, over the Christmas vacation, I did the drills above everyday for about an hour or two each time. During the third week, I used my skills in an actual match. I set with a slow, deep dish style at first which annoyed some of my opponents, but I gradually increased my wrist speed and became a very good setter in a time frame of about 2 months--not bad, huh? Therefore, you have no excuses. If I learned well enough to use my techniques in 3 weeks and became proficient at it in 2 months, you can make progress--I guarantee it.
Always try and set with your right foot slightly in front of your left, always facing the left side of the court, and, if possible, at the time of your release, have your shoulders square to your target. Sometimes you will be running around sprinting for balls, but if you will try and set up (even if it's at the last second), your sets will begin to be more consistent and your team will be more successful. As you can see in the picture below (sorry about the quality), I am very low and struggling to make the correct adjustments for the set. The pass I received never got higher than it is in the picture, and I actually set a "1" or quickset to a swing hitter jumping from just outside the picture. It was probably my best set of the day.
Notice that my right foot is in front of the left, my hands are up and prepared early, the ball is being set right off of my forehead, and if you could see later in this action, you would see my shoulder turn slightly to face more towards the net, square to my target. As you release the ball, you should be shifting your weight from your left to right foot. It is a bad idea to be setting with your weight on your back foot--you'll have less control and will tend to "underset" the ball. I will cover some advanced setting techniques later in this article.
Use the Force Luke!
What goes through a setter's mind as he/she runs the offense? What should go through their mind? What can you do to prepare for the mental challenges faced by the setting position? Would OJ be a good setter? Your questions will be answered, young jedi.
There is definitely a difference between the personalities of the setter (a good one anyway) and the other players on the team. Many times you'll see the setter watching matches at a tournament while the rest of the team is talking about what they did last weekend. You'll notice that the setter keeps the same basic temperment throughout the match, while his/her teammates go up and down. You'll notice that the setter tends to be supportive of his hitters and other teammates even when they make errors at crucial times in a match. You'll never see the setter discouraging a player, or punching the pole, or showing an extreme outburst of emotion. At most, and I see this a lot, the setter will let out a yell that lasts for a second and then turns to the hitters and g ives them their calls. A setter should be the most emotionally and mentally stable person on the team.
The setter should be a great leader. It should be someone who is not afraid to take control. The setter should not be afraid to give orders. The setter should have a deep understanding of the game, and understand his/her teammates abilities, responsibilities, and their weaknesses. A great setter always feels comfortable taking the blame for all failed attacks--trust me on that one. A great setter is not afraid to take chances, challenge his/her hitters, and set the ball to the hardest location relative to their position. The best setter is the one that knows his/her team is going to win the match and is willing to do whatever is necessary in order to reach game point.
Wow. It looks like the setter's job stinks. Maybe I should move to outside hitter. Actually, I feel pretty comfortable at my position and most setters probably feel the same way. Although the setter's job description is lengthy, it is probably the most rewarding. A setter can be 5'5" and still be very effective. There are many advantages of being a 6'9" setter, but you'll never be great without the mental and emotional stability I outlined above. |