Advanced Setter Tips from Pro Players

Intro:

Setters are the quarterbacks of volleyball – their decisions determine every play’s success. We interviewed professional setters to bring you these little-known advanced techniques.

Next-Level Setting Skills:

1. The Disguised Dump

   • Key cues:

     • Maintain identical body language to your set

     • Only change hand position at the last millisecond

     • Aim for the deep corner when opponents cheat up

2. Backset Deception

   • Practice no-look backsets using peripheral vision

   • Perfect your “poker face” – never glance at your target early

3. Jump Setting Footwork

   • The 3-step approach:

     1. Left foot (for right-handers)

     2. Right foot

     3. Left foot into jump

   • Time your jump to catch the ball at its peak

Mental Game Strategies:

• “Count the blockers” before each set (1 vs. 2 blocker situations)

• Develop a “go-to” play for high-pressure situations

• Study opponents’ defensive tendencies between points

Recommended Training Tools:

• Setter Target Rings (hang from basketball hoop)

• Lighter Training Ball (develops soft hands)

Pro Tip: “Record your sets in slow motion to analyze release point consistency.”

Final Thought: Master just one of these techniques, and you’ll outsmart defenders at every level.