Volleyball and strategy

NY Times:

BEACH volleyball has sand, sun, skimpy clothing, sea spray and spirited, two-against-two action to recommend it. But not every would-be volleyball player has access to a beach. That’s O.K.

“Volleyball is a game you can take anywhere,” said Misty May-Treanor, 30, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball who, with her partner Kerri Walsh, will represent America in Beijing next month.

Millions of players prove her point about the game’s adaptability. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, about 2.9 million people played indoor volleyball frequently (25 or more times) in 2007, while 589,000 played beach volleyball that frequently. Millions more join pickup games at the beach or park.

Fortunately the skills required to excel on the volleyball court are the same, Ms. May-Treanor said, whether you play indoors, on grass, on sand or in a parking lot. “You need to react quickly, to read” your opponent, she said. “You need to know how to control and place the ball.” A reliable serve is important, too, and for showboating at the next company picnic, so is a controlled bump and a withering overhead slam.

Ms. May-Treanor, who, with various partners, has chalked up more tournament wins than any other American woman, agreed to share a few key techniques.

THE SERVE, UNDER AND OVER When serving, many novice players try to emulate the impressive-looking overhand motion used by the pros. They shouldn’t, Ms. May-Treanor said. “You need to develop a good, controlled underhand serve first,” she said.

It may not rouse the crowd to cheers, but the underhand serve “can teach you a lot about ball control.” She uses it herself “if it’s a really windy day” or she wants to disconcert an opponent.

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I used to play a lot of volley ball and concur with her estimate of the underhand serve on a windy day. I developed an overhand serve that was very different from the one used by most of the pros. I did it out of necessity because the ulnar nerve in my right arm was severed by shrapnel in Vietnam. Instead of using an open hand to hit the ball which puts a spin on it, I used a closed fist hitting the ball near the heel of my hand. This created an effect similar to a pitcher throwing a curve ball. If it was into the wind the ball moved even more making it difficult for a player to get a clean return on it.

The best volleyball player I have seen was a former fighter pilot. His court vision was incredible. Most people just follow the ball and try to get it back over the net, but Randy could follow the ball and see the other side of the court and was always able to hit the ball were people were not or where a weak player happened to be. He was as effective with a dink as with a slam. It is a fun sport and also fun to watch.