There is more to hitting than simply attacking the ball with all the subtly of a jackhammer. There is the thinking part that enters in as well. While getting too cerebral will no doubt be a hindrance, a little mental exercise will go a long way towards collecting kills.
On a good outside set, the best shot is to go for the cross-court corner or sharp inside angle to beat the middle blocker. But, as the level of play improves, a hitter needs to be more selective when hitting to beat the more talented blockers.
Of course if you play on a team that passes consistently to the setter, then you could run a quick offense designed to beat the block by either getting the attacker to hit against no block, or an off-balance block. But most of us don't have that luxury, so as an outside hitter we should be ready to do more than just beat on the ball.
The approach is the first step in a kill. For a right-handed leftside hitter, start from 12-15 feet off the net and 2-4 feet outside the court. On the right side, start about 12 feet off the net and 2-3 feet inside the court. This will allow you to get the ball in front of your right shoulder. For left-handers, the opposite is preferred. On the left side, start 12 feet off the net and 2-3 feet inside the court. On the right side, start 12-15 feet off the net and 2-3 feet outside the court.
Use a three step approach and make sure your last two steps are right-left if you are right-handed and left-right if you are left-handed.
With a regular outside set (3-6 feet off the net, 1-2 feet inside the court, 15-20 feet high) the hitter must judge where the set will come down as it leaves the setter's hands and before the approach begins. Keeping the ball in front allows the hitter to see the ball and the opponent's open court areas. The main focus is on the ball so when you jump and swing, the ball will be in front of your hitting shoulder.
While approaching, jumping, and starting to swing, use your peripheral vision to go through a sequence to find an area at the net to attack. The sequence to follow is: line, seam, angle, hands.
First, see if the line is open, or if the outside blocker has left an alley open so you can hit the ball straight down the line. You may be able to see this as you approach or just starting to leave the ground. Usually a blocker will not reach out to stop this hit. If they do, it will usually end up with the ball glancing off the blocker's hand out of bounds. Of course, you do not want to hit a ball down the line if the only path is out of bounds.
Next, look for the seam between the outside blocker and middle blocker. For some reason-more often by a blocking error than by design-this area is available to exploit and the defense may not expect this attack between the blockers. Defenses are usually designed to cover areas around the block or off-speed shots over the block. You can hit this shot the hardest as the angle of approach is usually toward the seam of the block.
If these two areas are not available then hard angle is the nextoption in the sequence. This shot usually lands about 15-20 feetoff the net in the opponent's court. Like the seam shot, hardangle can be driven, challenging the crosscourt defensive digger.
The last shot is for the kind of situations when there seems to be nowhere to go. If this occurs, take aim at the fingers or the outside part of the arms of the blocker in front of you. The palms and arms of the block are the strongest parts of the wall. If the set is low then hit the ball low at the arms to try to put the ball between the blocker and the net.
Use tips and off-speed shots with care. As an attacker, you should know what kind of defense the other team is using so that your attack finds the opponent's floor. It is all-right to mix up your shots once in awhile but, you can live and die by the tip shot. Come game or match point, attack the ball. A soft shot or tip in this situation is just a free ball to the defense. Challenge the blockers with your best shot.
When you find yourself in a position where you are off balance and cannot hit the ball hard, place the ball in an area that will make the defense move. Again, an attacker should know what kind of defense the opponents use to be effective even if you are unable to hit hard. If the set is inside the court, hit angle. You can usually catch the block setting up too far outside. For wide sets, use your approach to get yourself in a position so you are facing into the court with the ball in front of you so that you can place the ball with more control. Lastly, for those sets that are off the net about 8-10 feet, adjust your approach so you can keep the ball in front of your shoulder and hit for the cross-court angle. It is an easy hit that gives you more room for error and stretches the defense.
Now, how can you do all this thinking during the heat of a game? Practice. Practice. Practice. Keep some of these ideas in mind when you are practice hitting or are just playing. Spike lines in warm-ups should not be just beating on the ball. Imagine hitting against a block and practice these shots.
Lastly, as a hitter, take responsibility for your errors whether the set was good or bad. You have the control to make something out of it. Then share your success with your setter and the rest of your team. Someone had to pass or dig the ball to give you the chance to swing. Realize errors do happen, so when you make an error, learn from it. Understand what went wrong and get ready for the next play. You are your own best coach because you should always know what you are doing!
HOT TIPS for thinking your way to a kill!!