Publisher: Championship Productions
Year: 2003
Coach: Don Shaw – Head Coach, Stanford University Mens Volleyball
Length: 37 Minutes
Cost: $39.99
TheVolleyballTeacher rating:

This DVD has two parts covering serving and passing fundamentals. Like the previous reviewed DVD, Kevin Hansen is on board, as a young college athlete to demonstrate as well as a few other Cardinal mens volleyball players. As always, Don Shaw is professional and a very thorough teacher of the sport using technique explanation, demonstration, then creative drills to reinforce the lesson. See more of my review after the jump.

Part One: Serving

The first serve covered is the float serve. Centering on the shift of balance, toss, heel of the hand contact and follow through, Stanford players demonstrate the correct form using several camera angles and helping viewers see exactly what a good float serve entails. To reinforce the lesson, Coach Shaw uses an Around the Word drill which can be summarized by using partners as targets around serving zones. Then the topspin jump serve is demonstrated using the same production techniques covering everything from footwork, toss placement and getting good momentum to serve correctly. Finally, the jump float serve is taught using a hybrid combination of both the floater and the topspin jump serve techniques.

Part Two: Passing

The most important skill in volleyball is passing and Coach Shaw teaches this in much the same way. He uses a player to demonstrate while he is teaching. Starting with the thumbs together and down and arms at an angle as reference points. The video concentrates on a wide foot base, bent knees and a 90 degree angle between a player’s arms and back. One of the keywords that struck with me during this instruction was “Deflect.” Meaning, many passers feel the need to swing at a ball with their forearms and direct the ball instead of deflecting the serve or the attack toward their target (the setter). This deflection talk really brings home the point that when a ball contacts the forearms, it is very similar to a ball bouncing off a piece of wood or metal. As I always say, “The volleyball knows angles and nothing else” I’m now going to add, “just deflect it.”

Part two ends with Coach Shaw teaching the overhand pass while using a player in much the same way. He teaches viewers to maintain a good base and get the hands up early to “deflect” the ball to the target with both hands, not just a few fingers. He also touches on how to make the call to overhand or forearm pass depending on the individuals ability level at either skill. Finally, two players are introduced and a third serves floaters. The players are encouraged to both go after the ball but at angles the benefit proper technique for team serve receive. Not only does he tell viewers what to do in situations, but he also tells them why to perform that way.

Conclusion:

This video has a great coach in Don Shaw and a balanced group of demonstrators that show viewers how to utilize the serving and passing skills from a beginner to intermediate level. If you are interested in learning how to teach fundamentals, or you want to brush up on them as a player, this video is great. For team defense, serve receive and and advanced formations and serving zone help, look for other videos in Championship Productions catalog.

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD, go get it at http://www.championshipproductions.com.