The Chest Pass

Articles In This Section:

· The Pass

· The Chest Pass

· Conclusion

The best method of handling the pass is the overhand technique known as the chest pass. The arms are extended upward, palms of the hands outward toward the ball, thumbs pointed toward each other and nearly touching, fingers wide to form with palms and heels of the hands a concave basket, and elbows forward of the body to form with the forearms and upper arms a flexible oval. Some players prefer to keep the arms and elbows extended out in front of the body in line with the shoulders, especially when receiving the serve. Others prefer to have the arms and elbows in a more relaxed position near the chest.

The skillful passer learns to get his body in position to make this pass whenever possible, moving forward or backward or to the sides. His legs are apart, slightly flexed, with one foot forward. He will not hesitate to squat down for low balls or even drop to one knee. Then, as the ball approaches him, his extended arms gradually retract and follow it in until the ball reaches face or chest level, when it is struck with the fingers. "As the ball is contacted, some of the speed and impact is absorbed by allowing the hands to give toward the body, and in one continuous movement the ball is clearly batted with the fleshy part of the fingers and thumbs. The ball is released with a finger snap and a co-ordinated follow-through of the entire body." ⁶ The Hollywood YMCA Stars utilize the wrist and finger snap in their passes. "The wrists cock backward just before the ball is hit and then the fingers roll forward as the ball is struck. Their warm-up drills stress this wrist snap roll."⁷ De Groot also recommends wrist action: "Good passes are made with wrist action primarily." ^sIt is wise to avoid contacting the ball on the palms or on the heels of the hands, both out of consideration for accuracy in directing the ball, and in order to avoid a possible call by the referee for holding, pushing, or lifting. This pass is the good player's bread-and-butter tool, and he should practice it incessantly.