400 Series: Skills & Drills Lab
Team Transitioning
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.
Setting Up Poach
- Set Up
- Hit cross court in front of partner
- Be aware of going too wide so you don’t set up a down the line passing
shot - Poach
- Leave as soon as you know you are not taking the 3rd ball
- Look to cut ball off at a diagonal to use weight transfer
- Stay in the fight once you start it
2 vs 2 Transition Zone
- Set out circle or dot on the center line at transition zone. This is your
starting point reference. - All 4 players set up in Zone 2 (transition zone).
- Even side players initiate a cross court rally to each other.
- Odd side players begin immediately to move forward looking for a poach
opportunity. - Even side players must hit the ball 2 times before they can move forward to play out the point. They are looking to set up a poach and also go behind
opponents if they get too poachy. - Perform 2 rallies starting on the even sides then switch roles and initiate from the odd side.
- After 4 total rallies players switch odd/even sides and repeat.
Team Transitioning
- Staggered Offensive Approach
- Player not hitting the 3rd shot:
Immediately WALK to zone 2 - before your partner has hit the ball. - Pause at zone 2 and assess quality of drop shot. Stay and defend or move
forward and hunt for an attackable ball. - Player hitting the 3rd shot:
- Drop shot cross court to set up your partner for a potential poach.
- Hit shot and assess. Stay & try again or move forward if good.
Capture the Net
- FOCUS ON TEAM TRANSITION RECIPE
- 2 players at NVZ and 2 at the baseline.
- NVZ players feed a ball cross court to baseline players.
- Baseline players make 3rd shot choice and play out the point.
- No Scoring - rotate so each baseline player gets a 3rd shot attempt and
then switch spots so NVZ players move back and baseline players move to NVZ.
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