Volleyball is one of the most played sports around the world. It required limited space and equipment to learn and practice making it very economical for most of its coaches and players. Spiking, serving, and receiving a ball during a volleyball game is very essential in ensuring a successful and competitive game. A player is normally allowed three touches of the ball during a game. Attack skills are very essential in a game hence the need for players to learn attack skills such as spiking. Learning how to spike correctly can be achieved by using volleyball spike training equipment to master the necessary skills. Visit this site Acuspike for more volleyball spike training equipment.
The aim of spiking a ball is to ensure that the ball passes over the net to the opponent’s side and hits the ground surface registering a score for the spiking team. When a team player is about to initiate a spike move, the opposition team usually prepares to offer defense so that the player finds it hard to score. Defense helps to slow down the speed of the ball making it easier for other team members to return the ball to the other side. A good spiker should therefore be equipped with skills such as good coordination of his moves and those of the ball during spiking and observing their opponent before deciding quickly on the angle and direction of the spike. Athletes are also expected to examine their opponent and learn how to predict their next move and therefore decide on the direction to spike the ball successfully without interference by the other team members. Whenever a team successfully blocks a spike, they ensure that the ball returns to the spiking team before the number of allowed touches is over.
Spiking Practice
To develop spiking skills athletes have to practice consistently. The type of practice an athlete engages in should match their level of playing. Most spikers are players who are at high levels of volleyball and can efficiently control the ball. Practicing spiking using the trainer machine involves jumping and hitting the ball hard towards the ground at a well-articulated angle. With frequent practice, a player finally masters how to spike the ball towards the right direction and at a high speed that makes it difficult to block.
Practice devices used for spike training lift the ball to a suitable position to be hit by the player. Simple apparatus is usually designed to hold a single ball at a time and the athlete has to constantly reposition the ball after hitting it. This type of device requires manual reloading. Other equipment allows for the adjustment of the height of elevation of the ball. Different designs are available for the coaches and players to select. Some of the training equipment hold single balls while others hold multiple balls.
Parts of a volleyball spiking machine include.
- A chassis
- Support stanchion
- Ball discharge throat
- Slanted ramp
- A hooper that receives balls.
- A pair of arms that hold the ball for spiking.
- An automatic ball indexing system
During a volleyball game, the only players who are allowed to spike the ball at the opposing team are the players in the front row that is closest to the net. the back row players are also allowed to spike the ball so long as they do it ten feet away from the net. this skill is only common among the most experienced players. A spiker usually makes several steps before spiking a ball referred to as the volleyball approach. This is the moment in which a player positions right in readiness for a spike.
Conclusion
A spike skill involves several other skills that need to be learned by a player before they can effectively spike. The player’s position, speed, power, and angle of spike collectively affect the outcome of spiking. To achieve a successful spike, players enroll in practice using spike training equipment that helps them repeat the tactics and master them. The training devices are normally designed differently to serve different purposes. Some are made simple such that they can only handle one ball per spike while others can hold a gseries of balls and automatically reload them after a spike. Additionally, the use of training apparatus has helped many teams and players achieve their goals in spiking accurately. The equipment can also be used for personal training at the comfort of one’s home.