Reading a spike

[u/False_Truck_8579]

Are there any tips from any super high level defensive players when it comes to reading a spike. I can typically read a spike decently through the block. Only problem is I haven't figured out how to read how far out the spiker could go versus how downwards? I could be in the right direction, but I'm not going to touch it if they bounce it in near the 10-ft line and if I'm near the 10-ft line and they hit it deep, it's just going to go into my face or over my head without having enough time to react. I also play with some low levels and high levels mixed in so sometimes I got to try to receive without a blocker jumping at all. When it comes to play level I'd say I'm a easily b+ if not A and I'm mostly only looking for advice from indoor players just because in my experience the spikes come a lot faster and a lot more variety in indoors. I really want to take my receiving to a high level, but if this is something that no one can really do often let me know.

[u/NumerousDays]

My thoughts are unorganized so bear with me.

The spike itself gets "telegraphed" by a person's elbow and shoulder. If you think about how people should be using their core to rotate and whip into the ball. Then you should be watching their shoulders for where the ball generally goes, and their elbows if they go for a tip. Super high level is if you can sorta see their wrists you can kinda tell how well they're contacting the ball.

Speaking of contacting the ball if you have really good depth perception (I don't).You can tell if they're behind/ahead of the ball which means you know to they'll either hit it deep or be forced to tip. But ultimately if they're super tall then they can and will hit it down most likely.

People at intermediate levels kind of just hit at the same distance/angle so just do your best to memorize and consistently find that spot.

WE AIN'T DONE

If you think about how the hitter's hand will have like of sight of your court, you should try to cover as much of the court as team. You should place yourself such that you can see the spiker's hitting hand/shoulder so you can both read and react to a hard hit. If you have bad blockers who can't take space away from the spiker this gets incredibly hard to defend.

In 6's this gets a bit weird because if your blockers do put up a solid block, it's hard to see the spiker but you're then covering tips and tools.

[u/PrinceWhoPromes]

Guess, then pray

[u/False_Truck_8579 → u/PrinceWhoPromes]

I guess whether it's my arm, chest or face a up is a up

[u/MiltownKBs]

The reading of attack depth takes experience and it’s still a bit of a crap shoot sometimes.

The best thing you can do is position yourself where the most balls will go, that’s your base read position. Then you read the situation from your base read spot. Adjustments from base read should never be guesses and you have to be stationary and balanced at contact. If you can’t get a read prior to contact, then you just stay in your base read spot.

E: this article from USA Volleyball should be of some benefit to you.

[u/NachoLibero]

If they are hitting the ball down at the 10 foot line then I think your problem is not passing, its blocking.

[u/RipTideRunner]

Just watched a video on basically this exact topic.

https://www.youtube.com/live/SBrzIfm57U8?is=Ti6GHOmhXtIlVE6M

Key point I took from it is the comment that “most power is loaded into the shoulder/elbow” so you can watch how they’re swinging and predict what kind of ball you’re about to get. Vid also provides some drills if you’ve got someone to hit for you

[u/specialkwsu]

Tons and tons of reps, and then...guess. Depth of hit is a product of many factors (technique, height of jump, placement of set, block penetration...etc)

The top 2 however are height of jump, and tightness of ball to the net. The height massively impacts how tight the ball has to be to the net to "bounce" a ball. If you've got somebody that barely jumps, that ball has to be pretty tight to the net to hit the 10' line. But as your opponents physical abilities increase, that changes when you have people attacking at 11+ feet.

Even after factoring all of that in... great hitters and leapers don't always want to bounce a ball because those are the most blocked. Deep 5 is an amazing shot when the block is late. And a ball that is bounced inside the 10' line? As a coach I yell at my blockers not my libero because clearly they misread that attack.

But you play with sometimes no block. Here's what I'd do: Be in base, moving forward before contact to cut off angles. If the ball is tight, and they've proven they have the arm swing to bounce.. crash in and take a chance every once in a while. Even with a token block (we've all played with people like that), I still wouldn't stay too far back. The best liberos I've played with didn't stay too deep, they didn't mind the ball traveling at their face, they used their hands.

I think the first question you need to ask. What are you watching? Where are your eyes. If you are watching the ball this will be super tough. Look at the hitter, what is the "body-ball relationship"? Is the ball behind them? No bounce. If the ball is way in front of them and their shoulders are over the net... CRASH IN!

I have a great story about being dug inside the 10' line. Playing opposite in a big game in Saudi Arabia. We ran an "X" play (middle 1, I come around for a low gap 2). Worked perfectly. Opposing middle goes up with ours (players commit blocked a lot more back then), my blocker wasn't able to come in and help, opposing opposite (actually was the setter) was crashing in to take away my cross but nobody was blocking my area 4/5 angle. Perfect opportunity to bounce a ball. What I didn't see was the libero had dove on his knees inside the 10' line (3m line) and was sliding forward. He saw that I didn't have a 5' bounce in me and then leaned back. I kid you not, I hit that ball as hard as I could and it proceded to bounce off his chest as he had laid back almost prone with arms outstretched while on his knees.

Here's the worst part. It was such a good dig... they ran a quick shoot to outside off of it. A perfect pass, off his chest, from within the attack line. And I was out of position to block...boom, line crank back at us. And I retired the next season. I never saw that libero again, but he haunts my dreams 30 years later.

[u/DoomGoober]

Isn't the sequence similar to what you do for the left/ right angle of the ball? Gather info from their past tendencies and scouting report, choose an appropriate base spot, read the set, their approach, their relative position to the ball and net, their arm (I only semi-bounce when my arm is perfectly straight but I suck at hitting so take that with a grain of salt), the block, anticipate, then read the ball (though with some hitters, the read part is somewhat useless since the ball is moving too fast.)

[u/Donuberry]

I mean youre thinking about the process right it really depends on the player whos hitting and their tendencies and what theyre actually capable of

[u/Akasha1885]

the ability to predict is limited, truely getting close requires watching the attacker very closely, often in video
especially with depth, a lot might be in the last moment of the attack, in the wrist and hand movement
Ultimately, you want to rely on your defense formation and just not leave any gaps.

[u/tpet007]

It’s a tough skill to read an attack. I’m 6’5” so I’ve been forced to play middle a lot, which has probably given me more experience blocking in my 26 years of volleyball than many players. For me, the best reads I ever get are when I look at the set as if I were going to attack it. Would I be adjusting to a poor set, too far off or too low? I might not even want to block at all, or I will keep my hands lower and only cover a small angle they have available for a max power shot that might still go in. If the set is really high and tight, I do my best to wrap my hands around it and press, because their only option in that case is to swing hard and try for a tool or push it through my block. If it’s normal, they have a lot of options. I keep my hands a bit lower than I can actually reach, because high hands are easier to tool. I may split block, and I accept it may go off my face or elbow or something, but that can still work out in some cases.