Purpose: 

To teach players to read the attacker rather than watch the ball during game play 

What You Need: 

  • Divide your players into groups of 2 
    • One will be an Attacker
    • One will be a Blocker
  • Make sure that each pair is of similar skill level

How It Works:  

  1. The coach will toss the ball into the air 
  2. The Attacker will approach the net and complete a hit 
  3. The Blocker will keep their eyes on the Attacker the entire time and will jump up for a block
    a) They should watch the Attackers body position, shoulder angle, approach speed, and more so that they can get into the proper position for a successful block 
  4. Have each pair rotate being Blocker and Attacker
  5. Make sure each player gets a chance to block at least 3-5 times

Results & Tips: 

  • Instead of watching the ball and anticipating the block, the blocker will be watching the attacker and then setting up the block based on body language, this will help your teams blocks to be more effective.
  • Over time you should notice improved blocking in practice and games with this drill