Step by Step Guide to Hitting a Volleyball.

In volleyball, hitting is one of the most exciting skills to watch. A team that strugles with the attack will also struggle to win 9 times out of 10. So that makes hitting a very important skill that all volleyball players should learn.

That being said, hitting is one of the most difficult skills to learn. Learning to hit requires a significant amount of coordination. Players need to learn the footwork, body positioning, arm swing and timing. There are several different types/styles of hitting, but today we are going to concentrate on the basic attack for beginners.

1. The player stands at a 45 degree angle to the position they will to hit at. We usually start around the 10 foot line. The right foot should be positioned ahead of the left foot.

2. If right handed, the player takes a step with their left foot while swinging their arms forward.

3. Then they take a BIG step with the right foot (imagine jumping over someone laying on the floor) while swinging both arms back behind you.

4. Take a quick final step with the left foot so it is level with your right foot while shifting the weight to the front of your feet and take off to jump(when you get to this position, your shoulders should be angled toward the setter). Both arms swing way up above your head with your momentum while you jump.

5. After both arms are above your head, bend your right elbow and bring it back behiind your ear. Then bring it forward in a full swinging motion and make contact with the volleyball when it is at its highest point in the set.

6. Continue to bring your arm forward while making contact with the ball. Make sure you snap your wrist to create a topspin on the ball that will drive the ball down. As you are hitting the ball pull the non-hitting arm down to generate even more power behind your hit.

7. Land with both feet shoulder width apart.

**For a left handed hitter, make sure to reverse which foot does which. So your steps will be: right, left, right, instead of: left, right, left .**

I realize that it's all well and good to READ how to do it but doing it is another thing all together. I have included some VERY good YouTube videos that are wonderful for beginners so you can watch it step by step. Then practice, practice, practice, the footwork. Do it in your bedroom, do it outside, do it on your way to school, do it 30 times a day, at least. You need to do the footwork and the arm swing (forward, back, over the head, hit and pull) over and over again until you can do it in your sleep. THIS Is how you get to be a good hitter. Once you have the footwork and arm swing down THEN you can start working on timing and improving your angle, spin, and hitting around blocks. But you need to crawl before you can walk and you will not become a successful hitter in volleyball until you get the footwork and armswing down.