Step Box Hitter Training

with Heidi Cartisser,
College of Southern Idaho Head Coach;
3x NJCAA National Champions (2015, 2012, 2009);
3x NJCAA Coach of the Year;
3x Scenic West Athletic Conference Champions; over 300 career wins

Heidi Cartisser shares how to take an aerobic step platform and turn it into a practice implement you can't live without. Through this progressive set of drills, you'll be able to coordinate footwork and arm swing together to develop more efficient attackers.

This training tool has become a staple in Coach Cartisser's program. She uses it any time she needs to fine-tune approach, work out a kink in the approach, work out any issues with the arm swing, or if her player has issues putting the approach and arm swing together. The beauty of the program is that once you train the athlete with it, all you need to do is set up the station. The athlete can work on it on their own and get the reps if/when they're needed.

Warm-Up

Prior to starting on the step box, Coach Cartisser introduces hitting drills, with an emphasis on rotating hips, and different shots with key points of what TO do and what NOT to do. She also shows how to work on the non-dominant arm.

Demonstrators walk through the technique with plenty of correction and feedback, focusing on the progression of the attack, working backward with the 2-step approach, then adding arm swings and the full approach, and finally with a jump - all without the ball. Coach Cartisser gives key points in her feedback as she looks for things to correct. Then, she repeats the skill progression with a ball.

Step Box Training

The step box is a training tool to emphasize key hitting points. You'll learn how to start with a step approach, then advance the step approach to load and full jump. Coach Cartisser shows you how to take advantage of looking for key points in technique and form.

Training focuses on:

• Footwork - The drill breakdown helps players focus on where their feet should be in relationship to the net. Without the arm swing, this drill teaches footwork and ensures athletes aren't goofy-footed. Coach Cartisser teaches the three-step and emphasizes the load on the approach.
• Arm Swing - Learn how to emphasize the rhythm of the arm swing in relation to the approach. See how to get your players to use the proper sequence to their arm swing as they approach the ball.
• Hitting Shots - Learn how to use different shots using the box and then immediately take it out of the drill to get the feeling of how the skill should be executed.

This is a great video to use when teaching athletes of any level. Soon, your players will be hitting more efficiently and you'll be winning more games!

Produced at the 2016 AVCA Annual Convention in Columbus, OH.

56 minutes. 2017.