Study Lines of Force

Articles In This Section:

· Recovery Shots

· Bounce the Ball

· Study Lines of Force

· The Two-Arm Forearm Bounce

· The One-Hand Bounce Pass

· The Foot Bounce

· Net Recovery

· Quicken Your Reactions—Here's How!

The skilled performer seems to have a kinesthetic sense, so that his appreciation of angles and forces gives him great performance. Therefore, the serious student will reflect upon these. They are vital to effective serving, passing, spiking, blocking, and recovering. Besides the effects of the speed at which the ball is traveling and of how much force you must apply to counteract it, four factors are involved in your correct bounce recovery. Two of these are determined by the situation—the line of flight as the ball approaches you and the line of flight you must give the ball to make an ideal play. The other two factors are the incline angle of your recovery-bounce-surface and the direction line of your applied force. For maximum control, your line of force should carry through the axis of the ball—should be applied not just to the surface but directly through the ball—and your bounce surface must be set at the correct angle.