Basic Blocking Technique
There is a general misconception in the beginner volleyball community that the most important part of blocking is reaching high. The fact of the matter is, the most important aspect of blocking is how far your penetrate into the opponent's territory.
For this post, I am going to discuss (as simply as possible) the basics of form, technique, and positioning for "heads-up" blocking, where you are already positioned to jump straight up. "Heads-up" blocking implies 1-on-1 blocking, attacking the ball.
Bunch vs Spread Blocking
Much like there are two distinct styles of blocking footwork, there are two distinct styles of blocking formation. The Bunch Block and the Spread Block. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and they can be altered slightly depending on game-time situations. I will try to go through the basics of each, their advantages and disadvantages, and the changes you can make depending on your game situation.
Differences in Basic Technique
Over the years I have been blessed to be able to work with a variety of coaches from both the US, Europe, and Asia. There are such varying differences between coaching philosophies, not only on technique, but the theory behind play, as well. Whether this is just a difference between coaches, or differences in coaching based on geography, I cannot say. Of course things change, when you move from different levels of play (high school freshman, compared to collegiate athletes), but there are certain things you would expect to remain the same.
The ideas behind some of the basic techniques of the game are taught differently.