The most exciting play in volleyball is the stuff block. Not only does it fire up your team, but it demoralizes your opponent. If you can take a player out of the game by owning them with your block, you've just made winning the game a lot easier.
You want hitters to fear hitting into your block. Make them go out of their way to avoid you and they'll start making mistakes. The road to fearsome blocking begins with your arm position.
The difference between a regular old block (nice, but recoverable) and a stuff block (neither nice nor recoverable) lies in your arm position. You must penetrate on the block to get a true stuff block or to roof your opponent. Penetrating means reaching over the net so that your hands are on your opponent's side of the net when you block.
Here are a few pointers to help you do just that.
- Read the Hitter
There is not a whole lot you can do with your arm position that will make up for bad block placement. The first thing you need to do is make sure you are putting your body in the right place to block the ball, it's called reading the hitter. The good news is that most hitters will tell you where they are going to hit the ball with their body position and their eyes. Pay attention and set your block accordingly. Give the hitter no place to go and you're once step closer to the stuff block. - Penetrate Immediately
Block penetration begins immediately and doesn't end until the ball passes through or gets blocked. As soon as your fingertips reach the top of the tape, you should begin your reach to the other side of the court. Never go up and then over with a forward motion. The idea is to be in good position from the beginning of your jump till your return to the ground. Should the ball hit your block at any time on your way up or down, you will always be in good position to block the ball downward and get the stuff. - Finish the Movement
One of the keys to good penetration on the block is in the last part of your extension. Your hands and arms are over the net and that is great. But you can get over even further when you finish the move by lifting your shoulders up toward your ears and putting your head down while keeping your eyes up. The shoulder shrug and head position will give you that last push over the top that you need for a really ferocious stuff. Just make sure to keep your eyes on that hitter even though your head is down so that you can see where he or she is going and adjust in the air if need be. - Adjust in the Air
If you are a beginner, this advice is not for you. Just concentrate on your technique - getting in good position and getting your hands over the net. In intermediate and advanced play, hitters become more adept at deception. Blocking becomes a cat and mouse game in which you try to outsmart one another. Blockers can be deceptive too. Show the hitter one position, giving her the false idea that she's got the cross court and then, just as she swings, move your arms to take it away from her. This is a very difficult move to make correctly because it calls for perfect timing - if you make the move early or late, it won't work. It also requires that you continue to have good hand and arm position even with the sudden movement - make sure you're positioned so that the ball you block will still land inside the lines on their side. If you don't, you become a really big target for the tool.
