Volleyball is categorised as a team sport however; an individual’s technique is a vital component to a team’s success. Maddy’s game performance lacked a particular basic technique known as the overhand serve. This was observed when the ball lacked the power to reach the opponent’s defense. The overhand serve poses a great purpose in a game. To continually have possession, a fault-free service is compulsory. Lacking a powerful serve means forfeiting a point and sacrificing your team’s success by not mastering a versatile technique. Power is demanded for any activity requiring a ball to travel a certain trajectory and distance successfully. The fitness component known as muscular power is the ability to use force explosively while using muscle contractions (Amezdroz et al., 2010).
To understand what is classified as a successful overhand serve, a biomechanical analysis was undertaken to recognize and identify Maddy’s specific error. It was clear, Maddy significantly lacked in power as the ball struggled to reach the net during gameplay. This error is directly linked to her inadequate technique when compared with a competent professional player. Observing this skilled performer on the right identifies her body as being positioned openly in the hips and shoulder to allow them to rotate and contribute towards an effective and powerful serve whereas, Maddy doesn’t (Analysing the Standing Float Serve, 2015). This source of error is the primary reason Maddy lacks power in her service. This observation made it profoundly clear this was Maddy’s weakest skill in her volleyball game performance, as seen in the gameplay video.
Sir Isaac Newton’s laws form a foundation for understanding efficient human movement in physical activity such as volleyball. To summon maximum momentum and power, multiple body parts are required to cause an impact on an object such as a stationary ball. To continue to produce efficient momentum, ideal sequencing of the body parts is required to begin from the larger limbs and extend to the extremities such as the hands, fingers, or feet (Amezdroz et al., 2010). Concerning the overhand serve, the ultimate sequential movement of body parts typically commences from the step of the foot and transfers the energy to the hips, shoulder, elbow, forearm, and hand. By achieving this exemplary biomechanical structure, the fitness component known as muscular power will be employed in the service and will have a greater trajectory to reach the opponent’s defense. In addition, another crucial principle to contributes to optimum power is the point in time the body parts are utilized (Amezdroz et al., 2010). As seen in this video, two large body parts, the hips, and shoulders, aren’t utilized at the correct time. These body parts are exploited at the exact point in time whereas, the skilled performer’s hips are activated first followed by the shoulder. By identifying this structural error, the biomechanical formation in serving was applied within the drill, while emphasizing the principles used to improve power.
The drill was modified and individualized to focus on Maddy’s errors and weaknesses to induce motor learning and muscle memory. An individualized drill allows players to focus on improving on their error; in this case Maddy’s power in achieving net distance. There are two phases in the serve commonly known as the ball toss and the swing. By segregating phases within a skill is crucial to developing a great foundation for power. To emphasize the correct structure for producing maximum power, the drills are based on skill acquisition for the two phases.
Within the first skill acquisition drill, there are 5 minutes solely focusing on the ball toss technique.
To begin with, the feet should be placed with the non-dominant foot at the front and straight while the opposite leg is turned out replicating an ‘L shape’, as seen in the image (Strength and Power Volleyball, 2007). According to Donny (2015), a volleyball ball coach in ‘Elevate Yourself’, encourages this structure as it opens your body position and enforces a great base of support to summon maximum power (How to Serve a Volleyball Tutorial, 2015). The ball is then positioned into the non-dominant hand with a ball release angle parallel to the ground while maintaining a straight arm to achieve height accuracy (Amezdroz et al., 2010). During the tossing drill, the ball should be tossed above head height and land inside the non-dominant foot to identify the toss is precise and correct. The toss allows a supple amount of time for the body to endure the correct sequential movements in the swing phase. Failing at these cues will result in a bad height accuracy resulting in less power. In the last minute of the drill, the number of correct tosses using the cues just listed, were counted to identify if progress had occurred between the 6 training sessions.
The next 5 minutes were then spent merely focusing on the swing phase. This drill consists of hitting the ball against the wall to measure the height accuracy of the net while focusing on the biomechanical structure as well. The tape was used to symbolize the net height and to measure whether Maddy was serving over or within the vicinity of it. In the last minute of the drill, the number of correct height trajectories was counted to identify if progress had occurred between the 6 training sessions. A major component in the swing phase is the drawback in the hitting arm. As the ball is tossed the hitting arm’s elbow needs to be angled towards the sky. The hand should then be closely positioned next to the shoulder and head (Strength and Power Volleyball, 2019). These cues allow the body parts to track over the greatest range of motion to generate more velocity until impact upon the ball. (Amezdroz et al., 2010). Within this drawback phase, the body is undergoing the sequential movements demanded to amplify the momentum in the serve. According to Donny (2015), the weight transfer from the back foot to the front foot is a major principle to consider when looking to improve power (How to Serve a Volleyball Tutorial, 2015). By following these principles, Maddy will enforce a serve that will have sufficient power to reach the opponent’s court thus, resulting in an improved skill. Amezdroz suggests these biomechanical principles in Newton’s laws allow athletes to understand what is required to improve power-focused movements.
Throughout the 6 training sessions, the data was collated to measure the progression and success of the drills. During the first session, Maddy’s technique struggled majorly in both the toss and swing. In the first session, only 7 tosses and 4 swings were counted as the correct technique within the one-minute time limit. The video seen in the PowerPoint demonstrates Maddy is in the cognitive stage in the first session. Her frequent errors are a major cue for identifying this stage (Amezdroz et al., 2010). However, Sergio Borges (2019) states that repetitive training is highly beneficial when looking to improve motor skills and to have an intuitive understanding of the skill (Borges, 2019). This statement is validated by the trend found in Maddy’s data. As the sessions continued, the repetitive training style allowed Maddy to induce muscle memory and intrinsic sensation for the correct technique. Her movement became more fluent and was then characterized by the associative stage of learning. By the fourth session, the number of correct tosses increased by five, and the swing increased by two. The linear curve highlights the concept, that practice improves success rates as stated by Borges. This primary and secondary evidence clearly illustrates the two repetitive drills for technique in serving proved to have success rates in improving her performance. Conducting the proper technique enhances game performance as well as any fitness components demanded within the motor skill (Prohealthphysio.co.nz, 2019). Thereby, by improving her technique bio-mechanically her power will reproduce this effect by furthering the distance she can serve.
Moreover, for future improvement, it is highly recommended to include an additional drill to visually identify the distance Maddy is successful and not successful at hitting. This drill entails Maddy beginning at a close distance to the net and serving into the opponent’s court. If the ball reaches the opponent’s court Maddy will take a step back until she is unsuccessful. This drill was originally planned to be incorporated however; the 2 drills listed before went for 10-minute intervals instead of the planned 5. This limitation was because Maddy significantly lacked in technique. Including this drill, will provide extrinsic feedback through knowledge of results. This augmented feedback is highly beneficial and indicates to Maddy the outcome of her performance. For example, within this drill, Maddy will know the maximum distance she can successfully serve. Social Science Research Network states approximately 65% of the human population are visual learners (Pedicini, 2019). In knowing this, the additional drill promotes visual competency of the skill thus, making it vital to include it in future sessions. Furthermore, by integrating video assessment into sessions, Maddy will have full knowledge of her execution and performance to establish the correct technique for a serve. These videos can then be compared to a professional to see the exemplary performance.
In conclusion, after identifying Maddy’s weakness and comparing it to a skilled performer, training drills were employed to improve her serve. The two drills were skill acquisition-based to promote the correct biomechanical structure to influence the input of muscular power.
The drills contained in the 6 sessions verified that Maddy’s performance in serving majorly improved as seen in the graph and game videos. Maddy progressed from the cognitive to the associative stage within the 6-training session via repetition in drills. However, further recommendations are to include a visual drill to allow Maddy to envision her performance and have a sensation of the correct technique when successfully serving over the net. In doing so, Maddy can establish the proper technique have a successful serve, and avoid forfeiting a point to the opposition.