How to Predict the Ball’s Landing Point and Move Quickly at the Moment of the Hit
There is no doubt that the key to successful serve reception is to move to the ball’s landing point “efficiently,” “accurately,” and “quickly” from the moment it is hit.
When we hear the word “serve reception,” our focus tends to be on the part where we touch the ball. However, the most crucial and difficult part of improving our serve reception is predicting the ball’s landing point and moving to it as fast as possible.
So, how much time do you actually have between the moment the server hits the ball and the moment the receiver touches it?
According to an excerpt from the article below, it takes about 0.8 seconds for a top-level women’s spike serve. Based on this, serves like a floater or jump floater probably takes between 1 and 2 seconds.
“Reception is about returning the ball hit from the opponent’s side to the setter. According to research, a player can move at about 4m/s, and there’s a ‘wasted time’ of 0.3 seconds before they react to the ball. This leads to the following ‘reception limit equation (?):’
Defense Limit = 4m/s × (Ball Hang Time - 0.3) + 1The 1m represents the player’s reach, and the 0.3 seconds is the reaction time before the player starts to move. The ball hang time is about 0.4 seconds for a fast spike and 0.8 seconds for a jump serve. This means a receiver can defend a radius of 1.4m for a spike and 3.0m for a jump serve.”
Source: Engineers! Fall in Love with the Science and Charm of Women’s Volleyball | Tech-Soken
So, how can we effectively use this brief moment of “around 1 second”?
1. Minimize “Wasted Time” (Reaction Speed)
As mentioned in the article, there is a delay from when the ball is hit to when a player starts moving. The article uses 0.3 seconds for convenience, but I believe there’s a great deal of individual difference here.
Therefore, it is essential to train to minimize this wasted time and increase your reaction speed. While training to reduce travel time (sprint training, etc.) is common, training to reduce this wasted time (reaction speed) is often neglected.
2. Use a “Split Step” for a Smoother Start
Along with minimizing wasted time, you should also focus on increasing the speed of your initial movement. Having a stable stance and quick footwork is effective for this.
While the best stance and footwork will vary based on an individual’s physical abilities and muscle balance, I recommend using a “split step” to increase the speed of your first move.
This step is a fundamental technique in tennis coaching, but in volleyball, I feel it is not taught as intentionally (my impression is that players mostly acquire it naturally).
What is a split step?
In ball sports, it’s a small hop a player makes just before the attacker hits the ball, landing with both feet apart at the moment of the hit. Using this step allows a player to start moving quickly.
What and How to See
Now, let’s consider how to view the fast-approaching ball and other information.
1. See the Server, the Ball, and the Setter. Also, Feel Your Teammates.
A successful serve reception means accurately returning the ball with enough hang time to the setter, directly above their head. Therefore, simply watching the ball is not enough to guarantee success. As I’ve written, you must accurately see the server, the ball, and the target (=the setter).
Furthermore, in a team sport like volleyball, you also need to determine who will receive the ball. So, it is also important to see (or feel) the movements of your teammates, especially the other main receivers.
The server. The ball. The setter. Your teammates.
It seems impossible to see all of this information in just one second, but with proper training of a key element of sports vision called “peripheral vision,” you can learn to see “everything simultaneously.” It is difficult to improve your serve reception success without developing this ability.
2. Constantly Watch the Ball from an Upward Angle
First, please refer to the image below
The image shows a simplified view of a receiver’s line of sight.
Serves always come from above the player’s eye level. It is important to consciously watch the ball from an upward angle for as long as possible, right up until the moment you touch it. This prevents your gaze from moving up and down, which can make it difficult to read the ball’s trajectory accurately and increase the chance of shanking it.
A key point when watching the ball from an upward angle is to aim your final line of sight at the bottom of the ball (the red dot in the diagram). Having this focus will help strengthen your habit of watching the ball from an upward angle.
What to Be Conscious of and How to Touch the Ball
I’ve outlined the key points of serve reception in order. Now, let’s summarize the important points for touching the ball.
1. Choose Between Overhand and Underhand Reception
You need to make an instantaneous decision on whether to use overhand or underhand reception, based on the ball’s trajectory and your position on the court (e.g., front row vs. back row). For example, if you are an outside hitter in the front row, it’s often better to use an overhand reception to allow for a smoother transition to your next play.
Similarly, an underhand reception might be the best choice for big serves like a spike serve. You must make the optimal choice in each situation.
2. Use the Widest Possible Contact Area
Whether you use underhand or overhand reception, it’s crucial to use your body in a way that maximizes the contact area with the ball.
For underhand reception, you hit the ball with your forearms. You can adjust your hand position, like pointing your thumbs down or relaxing your grip, to make the contact area as wide as possible. For overhand reception, focusing on touching the ball with the base of your fingers can also increase the surface area.
It’s not always possible to touch the ball with the ideal part of your body, but practicing with this awareness is very important.
3. Consciously Point Your Platform Towards the Setter
You won’t always be in a position to receive the ball head-on. There will be situations where you have to touch the ball from off-center. In these moments, you must always be conscious of pointing your platform (your arms) toward the setter, no matter what your body’s orientation is. Many times, you can still control the ball well just by having your platform pointed correctly.
4. Move “Just Ahead” of the Ball and Create a “Pause” Before the Hit
You might not notice this by simply watching, but if you look closely, receivers with a high success rate often move to the ball’s landing point “just ahead” of the ball, creating a “pause” before they touch it (although this isn’t always possible).
It’s important to use skills like observing the server and the split step to create that “momentary pause” when you touch the ball.
5. Know Your Preferred Ball-Touching Position
This also applies to digging, but you need to know where you are most comfortable and stable touching the ball.
For example, coaches often say, “Receive the ball in front of your body!” But this can be a bit vague. Some players might be most stable when they touch the ball right in the center of their body, while others might feel most stable when they touch it slightly to the right of center.
By knowing your preferred contact point and trying to position yourself there “as much as possible,” you can improve your serve reception success.
Serve Reception Is a Composite Skill
I have broken down the necessary elements for successful serve reception in order. After reading this, you should understand that a single successful serve reception requires mastering many different techniques.
As I mentioned at the beginning, in youth categories, I get the impression that a very foolish judgment is often made, where players who “at that moment” can’t receive well are deemed to have “no talent” and are not allowed to practice serve reception.
It is extremely important for coaches and adults to avoid this foolish act if they want to develop all-around players.
Instead of looking at the final result—”the player can’t receive”—and concluding “they have no talent,” we should think, “They just haven’t yet mastered a certain technical element that makes up the serve reception play. So, how can we train them on that specific part?”
My greatest wish is for coaches and players involved in volleyball to stop saying, “Serve reception is all about talent!” and start saying, “Serve reception is a skill anyone can learn.”
