From training diary season 2005
The focus on training on Saturday was mostly about establishing a few basic standards to see us through the season. We focussed on our greatest strength (service), and our greatest weakness (setting). The NE rule was implemented. We both made the mistake once, did the push ups, and then hit the ground for every ball from there on.
Training format.
Jump training – 30 minutes: Andy’s special recipe. (Andrew McCombe is a personal trainer and fitness freak. You can find details about his service here.)
Setting 45 minutes: This simple drill involves player A standing at the edge of the net. Player B starts in the service reception position. Player A rolls the ball to Player B, B passes to the “Passing Zone” and A sets the ball to the “Setting Zone”. We made some good progress, and this skill will obviously improve with repetitions.
Service: We spend about 30 minutes serving, and refining our service routines. The quality of service throughout the training session was excellent. However we did find that we struggled to take the consistency through to the games we played afterwards. Our next training will be very simillar, with the focus being on maintaining the service routine through to the game situation. I have refined my service routine to the following:
- Check the blocking call.
- Pick my target.
- Slap ball once, spin it four times.
- Hold the ball in front of my hitting should.
- Visualise my arm following through the ball and the ball landing on my target. (That bit was an idea from one of the best womens players of all time, thanks Kez)
- Speak the word “loose” to myself.
- Serve the ball…
This keyword, “loose” physically relaxes me, and allows me to swing more freely on the ball. Generally speaking, a loose arm is a fast arm.