Tips for a Blocker on How to Read the Opponent’s Hitter

It’s fair to say that the defense in the sport of volleyball is all about blocking. Actually, the job of
a blocker is to prevent the opponent’s attacks from happening. Obviously, blockers should be
able to read the opponent’s hitter and prepare for the opposing team’s attacks successfully ahead
of time. By doing this, blockers increase the chance of resisting an opposing team’s attacks
dramatically. However, you need to know that reading the opponent’s hitter is no easy task.

So, the big question is – how to read the opponent’s hitter successfully? In this blog, you’ll be
able to find the correct answer to this important question. First of all, we’ll explain to you why
it’s so important for a blocker to be able to read the opponent’s hitter effectively. In addition,
we’ll provide blockers with some tips for reading the opponent’s hitter. Read on to learn more
about blocking in volleyball.

Why a Blocker Should be Able to Read the Opponent’s Hitter

The reality is being able to read the opponent’s hitter delivers multiple significant benefits to
blockers. Now, we would like to highlight the importance of reading the opponent’s hitter for
blockers in volleyball.

It’s worth noting that the correct blocker’s position is the key to resisting the opposing team’s
attacks. So, if a blocker can read the hitter’s movements successfully then he/she will be able to
predict where the opponent’s hitter is likely to carry out an attack hit. And of course, this helps a
blocker position himself/herself properly on the court.

On the other hand, if a blocker can read the body of the opponent’s hitter then he/she will be able
to predict where the ball is likely to go after an attack hit. Knowing the direction of the ball
allows a blocker to take the necessary actions quickly and block an opposing team’s attacks
effectively.

Tips to Help Blockers Read the Opponent’s Hitter Better

– It’s a great idea to watch games of the opposing team in advance. There is no doubt that the
deep analysis of the opposing team’s games will make a great contribution to your strategy for
blocking. The most important thing about observing the opposing team’s games before the match
is that this very useful activity gives a blocker an opportunity to study the opponent’s hitter
carefully and prepare for the match beforehand. As a result, you’ll know the hitter’s tendencies
quite well and this will make it easier for you to read the opponent’s hitter during the match.

– Blockers should benefit from mental imagery. It’s important to point out that mental imagery
will become a good addition to blocker’s training program. After watching the opposing team’s
matches, blockers can also take advantage of visualization. As mentioned earlier, you’ll know
the hitter’s tendencies if you have watched the matches of the opposing team carefully. Now, it’s
time for you to sort out the information and try to visualize the game against your competitors.
Imagine how you’ll play during the match and resist the opposing team’s attacks in different
situations. There is no question that visualization will help you prepare for the game in the best
possible way. As a result, you’ll be able to read the opponent’s hitter more effectively during the
match.

– A blocker should start observing the opponent’s hitter during the warm-up. A blocker can
also take advantage of so called warm-up period and watch how the opposing team’s attackers
are preparing for the game. A blocker needs to make the conclusions about the opponent’s hitter
during the warm-up period. Pay a close attention to whether an attacker is short or tall, fast or
slow and other important things. On top of that, you should always try to figure out what types of
shots the opponent’s hitter chooses to do during games. Obviously, as a blocker you need to do
everything possible to find out strengths as well as weaknesses of the opponent’s hitter during
the warm-up period. All of this will help draw the correct conclusions about the hitter’s
possibilities. In other words, you’ll get an understanding of what you should expect from the
opponent’s hitter during the game. As a result, you’ll be able to plan your strategy for blocking
in the best possible way.

– A blocker should constantly observe the opponent’s hitter during the game. It goes without
saying that observing the opponent’s hitter has to be the top priority for every blocker. Actually,
it is something that a blocker has to do all the time during volleyball matches.
– A blocker should pay attention to the hitter’s shoulders and arms. When reading the
opponent’s hitter blockers need to pay a close attention to the player’s shoulders and arms.
Looking at the player’s hitting shoulder and arm will certainly help you understand when the
attack will be carried out by the hitter. Also, you’ll be able to understand how hard the ball will
be hit by an attacker. Above all, you need to pay a close attention to the position of the ball in
relation to the player’s shoulder. This will definitely help you figure out where the ball will go
after an attack hit.

– A blocker should look at the opponent hitter’s eyes. It’s incredibly important for a blocker to
look at the opponent hitter’s eyes. If you find that the opponent’s attacker is about to hit the ball
then you should definitely try to look at his/her eyes as soon as possible. Keep in mind that
looking at the eyes can tell you a lot about the hitter’s plans. It’s important for you to know that a
hitter is constantly searching for the open areas on the opposite side of the court. And of course,
a blocker should always try to benefit from this. That’s the reason why as a blocker you need to
do everything possible to figure out where the opponent’s hitter looks at during the game.
Without a doubt, looking at the hitter’s eyes will help you guess the direction of the ball.
The Role of Communication between Blockers in Volleyball Defence

It’s clear that reading the opponent’s hitter plays a huge role in helping blockers resist the
opposing team’s attacks. It’s also important to note that the success of volleyball defense
depends a lot on the communication between blockers.

There has been a lot of talk about the importance of communication between volleyball players.
It’s worth noting that an effective communication is particularly important both for attackers and
blockers. Communication can help attackers organize successful attacks. On the other hand,
communication helps defensive players block the opponent’s attacks effectively.
Obviously, blockers should work closely and understand each other perfectly during the game.
Each of blockers should select the opponent’s hitter ahead of time. Plus, blockers should
continue communicating with each other during the game. Additionally, it’s very important for
blockers to coordinate their actions when the opposing team is organizing its attacks.

Without a doubt, the communication between blockers during the game is very important.
Moreover, blockers should support each other when the opposing team is attacking. If, for
example, you see that your teammate (another blocker) find it hard to read the opponent’s hitter
then you should definitely try to help him/her with that.

As a blocker, you should use any opportunity to give your teammate an advice on how to read
the opponent’s hitter. All that you need to do is to tell your teammate what the opponent’s hitter
is going to do. As a result, your teammate will be able to take advantage of communication and
plan his/her actions accordingly to prepare for an attack. And of course, this will help your
teammate learn how to read the opponent’s hitter better over time.

Blockers should communicate with each other after games and practices as well. It’s a great idea
for blockers to discuss their matches, analyze mistakes and draw conclusions together. Coaches
can also participate in these kinds of conversations between blockers. The task of a coach is to
give blockers an advice on how to read the opponent’s hitter better during the game and improve
their blocking skills.

Thank you so much for reading our article about reading the opponent’s hitter in
volleyball. As you can see, a blocker needs to focus on learning how to read the hitter’s
movements as well as body (shoulders, arms and eyes). Mental imagery should be a key
part of a blocker’s training program as well. Now, you have everything that’s needed to
read the opponent’s attackers. Hopefully, our tips will help you read the opponent’s hitters
much better and perform more effectively on the court. And of course, following our tips
will help you take your blocking skills to the next level. Practise reading the opponent’s
hitter regularly and success will come. As a result, you’ll be able to become a much better
blocker over time. As always, we wish you the best of luck!