This drill develops a defenders ability to react to a soft shot after it is hit and chase it down. Often defenders are lured into anticipating, and moving before the shot is played only to be caught going in the wrong direction. A better tactic against players with less than perfect shots (or on a windy day) is to employ the tactic reinforced by this drill, which is to wait for the shot to be played then chase it down.
Set up
# of players : 2-8 players
Ideal : 3 players
Equipment : 2+ balls + a towel
Average duration : 15-20 minutes
Description
- A towel or blanket is placed over net so defender cannot see the attacker.
- A ball is then tossed and hit over the towel.
- Keep in mind that there would be a blocker present, so you’ll have to hit the ball high enough to simulate a normal play.
- In the case of this play the defender would normally stay middle of the court so that they are in a equally good position to get to a ball hit into any area of the court.
- In order for a coach to see what is happening on defense it will be necessary for them to have a athlete throw (or hit) the ball over the net and position themselves behind the defender.
Evaluation :
# of good reps (ex. 4-6)
Variations
- Left and right
- Rotate between players
Progression
- Initially the ball could be only hit line and angle but the drill could progress towards the ball being hit anywhere on the court.
- You could have an additional athlete on the defenders side of the court (beside the blanket) who sets up any balls dug by the defender.
Key points
- It is very important that the defender is in a low and ‘loaded’ position in order to be able to move quickly to the hit ball.
- The defenders arms should be apart and ready to assist in a balanced move either sideways or forward /back.
- Athletes need to remain relaxed but ready, and only move when they see where the ball is going