Tactical Blocking: Systems, Philosophies & Ideas

Hall of Fame Coach Don Shaw helps you design a blocking scheme that fits with your team's talent in blocking, digging and defensive systems.

Coach Shaw will show you how to develop your blockers and hitters to play all positions in the front row especially early in the season so you can switch them anytime to get favorable match-ups against your opponent's hitters. This allows you to coach your players to be effective at any height.

See how you can switch your outside blockers or middle to outside as part of their tactical blocking scheme. Coaches may also ask the team to move or shift towards their best hitters and sometimes dare the opponent to set to their not so great hitters. If their primary hitter is running slide most of the time, Shaw demonstrates how to commit the outside hitter to the middle hitter and/or shift the block to the left to have two blockers on the slide. Playing the percentage by shrinking the net or the court is always a very good strategy.

Teams will also learn the importance of one blocker defense and assign the off blocker to take tips while still having four diggers to defend the attacks. Shaw's 5 on 5 drills will help your outside blockers get better at one-on-one blocking.

Shaw features two drills to help develop blocking skills:

• Figure of 8 drills - Very useful for blockers' footwork in blocking and transitioning to attack the ball. This is a good drill for blockers to read and react against the hitters and can also be used as a warm up drill.
• 3 hitters vs 3 blockers drill - Will help your team get ready for good passes and make adjustments to bad passes. Tactical serving is also stressed as it will take away some of the opponents' offense.

54 minutes. 2012.