Nothing makes for a great game of volleyball like a good setter. A good setter can be the difference between a teams success and it’s failure. Because the teams offense runs through the setter – many folks refer to the setter as the quarterback of the team. If the sets are not delivered in the right location, strong hits become free balls floating over the net giving the opposition the opportunity to score the point.
A good setter must posses a soft touch and an iron will to get to every ball and make perfect sets that allow for strong hits. Below are 5 essentials to becoming an elite setter.
1) A simple setting drill is to practice setting the ball into the air using only
your fingertips. I have the girls "curl" their fingers slightly so the tips of
those fingers are still exposed, but they are locked and ready for the
impact of the ball coming.
This helps to improve their setting skills and it also leads to less injuries.
Their fingers in this drill are locked in place so there's less risk of them
jamming a finger with the force of the ball when they make contact.
2)Bump & SetAnother Drill that works well for setters is the Bump and Set Drill.
In this case there are a few players, maybe four, and they stand in a
circle. One player bumps the ball high and the setter gets under it and
sets it. This is repeated so all the players get to practice bumping and
setting.
This helps the players practice not only setting, but also transitioning
from setting to bumping and back again.
3) An older Drill that works well is when players are coupled by two's facing one another about ten or fifteen feet apart...
Player one sets to player two, player two sets to themselves and does a
180 degree turn and back sets back to player one. This is repeated
several times and players switch off and on.
This helps the players to practice setting in all sorts of circumstances
because we all know the ball doesn't always come at you with the
'perfect' angle ready to be set!
4)Footwork is as important as having good hands and a soft touch. Working on drills that build up your quickness and endurance can be a major benefit to any setter. Having the ability to be as strong and fresh in the third –fifth match as you are in the first will prove to be a major advantage to you and your team.
We recommend shuttle runs of 5 / 10 / 15 feet repeated several times to build both quickness and stamina. Taking long jogs or long sessions on a stationary bicycle will help you stay fresh and sharp late into matches.
5)Court Vision / Multitasking - A drill that has helped in my coaching history is one that not only practices setting, but also encourages the setter to see what's happening
on the 'other' side of the net...
The coach is on one side and there are the setter and two players on the
other side. One of the players tosses to the setter, meanwhile the coach
holds something up in their hands in the setter's view, while the setter
sets the ball to the third player, and they shout what the coach is holding.
This helps to improve the player's ability to multitask on the court. It's
just as important to be able to set the ball as it is to be prepared for the
other team's next move.
Above All: A top level Setter needs to have the Desire to be the best and to keep the team on the offensive. That desire goes beyond practicing with the team. A top level setter must work on their skill constantly to become the best.
These drills will all improve the skills of the setters on your team.
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Special thanks to Halley from volleyball-magic / Australia. She sent me four essentials and I added the footwork section plus a little here and there. I hope you make the most of these 5 essentials to elevate your game and become a top level setter.
Halley Adds: Oh - one last thing! A question I'm asked a lot is "Do I have to practice with a setter's ball?"
In short - since it's designed for the setter it would be the best choice,
but if a volleyball is the only thing available, practice with that. After all,
a volleyball is what's used in the game!
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