Ep. 69: Passing Technique - Questions from You! | VOLLEYBALL PODCAST

[@VB1Koach]

From my 25 yrs of coaching, I concur athletes should use their legs and others should not use their legs when passing. The difference between our philosophies is physical strength that athlete has in his/her upper body. If the younger athlete doesn't have the upper body strength to pass, then the legs are encouraged to be utilized. When the athlete becomes strong enough in the upper body then using the arms only is encouraged. Municana Peppers (pre middle school) has KZbin videos and 'most' of the athletes do not use legs when passing. Not sure if you were addressing how to pass a top spin server with the 'absorbing' of a pass for older passers. In my training absorbing only comes with the servers are top spinning the ball. At the older ages I have found the 'keeping the platform quiet' is the way to go for the athletes I training and coach. Before commenting on this I watched a middle school match, JV, and Varsity from different programs. I didn't see any of them absorbing while passing. Like you mentioned in your podcast, maybe it's in specific communities it's best to absorb the pass. I just haven't been in a community that require the technique outside of top spin serves. It would have been nice to address how a coach could move the athlete from using legs to not using legs. I have had older athletes still using legs at the elite level and they wondered why they pass so tight or over the net. Float serves that is not really that hard driven tend to go too tight or over when the legs are used. I think this would be a good topic to cover in one of your Pancake podcast and videos. Maybe I am going out of scope, but coaches initiating the serve is not idea in my pass training philosophy. I prefer to use the athletes to initiate the serve. Albeit the younger athletes may not have the strength to accomplish the serve from the end or step in line. In this case the athlete(s) come into the court where they can complete the serve to mid-court on the opposite side. The reasoning behind the my philosophy is 'every ball the coach is in the drill that's one contact the athletes do not learn how to execute a skill'. The philosophy of the drill is slowed down is definitely true. So coaches have to decide what's important to them. The pace of the drill or the learning of the skills. I have to athlete move into the court where they can complete the skill efficiently. I personally do not believe that a specific starting location matters. At the younger ages it's the execution of the skill itself that is important. As they get better we move them back. This goes for the underhand or overhead serves. For my program, athletes can 'bowl' the ball to passers as well. This way the pace of the drill can be efficient and more important, I can be closer to the passers providing feedback and or encouragement when needed without having to slowdown or stop the drill to do so. Respectfully, KoachNRef