In a previous post, I discussed how important it is to have a solid footing foundation. Now is the time to expand your fitting skills to include not just footwork, but hands as well.

There are three main principles to keep in mind when setting:

1. Your hands should be soft and strong.

As the ball approaches you, your hands should already be above your head with your wrists slightly back. Cushion the ball when it makes contact with your hands by flexing your wrists a little more and then quickly stretching them. Use both hands equally to direct the ball towards your chosen hitter.

Remember that there is a very small difference between soft hands that can cushion the ball and illegally hold the volleyball for a long time. If you break your wrists too much and appear to be carrying the ball, you will be asked to pick it up and your opponents will score a point.

On the contrary, your hands cannot be too stiff either. If you don’t give something on your wrists, you will never have the ball under control. When you use a forearm pass, you are simply redirecting the momentum of the ball toward the target by allowing it to bounce off your arms. However, the fit requires you to modify the trajectory of the ball as it leaves your hands.

As it gets closer to you (the setter), the volleyball travels towards the net. After the series, you want it to travel parallel to the network. So without hands that are soft enough to cushion the ball and alter its trajectory without holding too much, you won’t be able to achieve precise sets.

2. Thumbs in the eyes

Please note that I am not advocating that you actually put your thumb in your eyes. What I’m saying is that when you receive the ball, your thumbs should be almost directly over your eyes.

To achieve this position, your wrists should be slightly flexed and your fingers rounded. This type of position should direct your thumbs towards your face; if they don’t fold, they’ll be in the way of the ball, and stuck thumbs will ruin anyone’s day.

As mentioned in n. 1, we need hands that can cushion the ball without wearing it too long, which means we need nice ball-shaped hands. And, of course, the only way to get our hands to form a spherical shape is by pulling our thumbs towards our eyes.

By making sure your thumbs are pointing towards your eyes and not towards your mouth or forehead, you are well on your way to achieving a more consistent set.

3. Follow the example of soccer

I know this may seem a bit strange since soccer players use their feet and the adjustment involves only their hands, but to have an accurate position of the ball when setting up volleyball, we can mimic soccer players a bit. More specifically, I mean heading the ball.

If your footwork has been precise and you have positioned yourself under the ball in preparation for the adjustment, you should move closer to your forehead. Moving your hands away at the last second should cause the volleyball to hit your forehead, not your mouth or the top of your head.

Again, I am not advocating that you let the ball hit you in the head or in the face.

Keeping the ball above your forehead will allow you to take full advantage of the power generated by your arms, wrists, and leg muscles. Holding this position of the ball each time you establish will also decrease the amount of time the ball is in your hands, making you less likely to be called in to pick it up.