300 Series: Skills & Drills Lab
Overheads & Transition Zone Digs
Takeaways & Training Tasks
Keep the momentum rolling with these quick steps:
- Refresh your memory with the 2 skills, 2 drills, and training video.
- Knock out the drills 2–3x before we meet again.
- Each time you play, pick one skill and make it your mission to use it often and on purpose.
Overhead Smash
- Grip: ContinentalÂ
- Stance: Open Stance perpendicular to the net, use SCISSOR STEPS to moveback
- Paddle Prep: Paddle above the back of the head in trophy position
- Contact Point: Above the head and out in front of the body- extending up toreach the ballÂ
- Follow Through:Â Swing down and across to the non-dominant side of the body
Paddle Free Smash
- Set up straight on, one player at transition zone and one at NVZ.
- Player in transition zone tosses a ball high over opponent’s head simulating a lob.
- NVZ player attempts to set up in a well balanced position from which they could hit a smash, but they catch the ball above their head with their non
paddle hand.
Defending the Overhead
- Contact Point: Out in front, and typically low.
- Weight Transfer: Allow weight to flow into shot. Use weight to direct the ball rather than swing at it.
- Body Positioning: Athletic stance with weight forward.
- Hands: Soft hands and wrist to provide shock absorber for ball.
- Swing: Push this ball forward. Avoid swinging up at this ball.
Defending the Overhead
- 1 Player at NVZ, 1 Player at transition zone straight on skinny.
- Transition Zone player feeds an overhead to partner.
- NVZ player hits COOPERATIVE overhead.
- TZone player hits neutralizing shots back attempting to get them to land in NVZ.
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