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Left Side Hitter Volleyball Mastery Of The Outside Hitting Position

Discover what makes the left side hitter volleyball position essential with responsibilities, training tips and strategies for mastering this dynamic position.

A left side or outside hitter in volleyball, specializes in playing in position or Zone 4, and is primarily responsible for attacking, blocking and playing defense from the left side of the court in front of the ten foot line. (photo Al Case)

Lets learn more about the left side hitter volleyball position.

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Watch my Vegas Volley 18s boys team in action with lots of left side hitter volleyball player points being scored!

Frequently Asked Questions About the Left Side Hitter Position

The left side hitter also nicknamed "the cannon" typically receive the most sets and must excel in both offensive and defensive skills, making them crucial to the team's ability to attack and perform offensive plays successfully.(photo by Al Case)

1. What is a left side hitter in volleyball?

Volleyball Drills For Hitting: Gorman two-time Gatorade Player of the year and Cal Poly starting left side hitter volleyball player Tommi Stockham (a 3 year client) Works On Transitioning from Outside To Hit A Two Ball

2. What physical attributes make a successful left side hitter?

Key physical traits include:

- Vertical jumping ability needed to to outreach and outmaneuver the opposing team's block which is usually their opposite hitter

- Upper body strength used to power strong spike attacks across the net, over or around the block and to the floor before an opposing digger can touch or dig it

- Quick lateral movement which there are three the left side hitter should be ready to do consistently in the front row

a) to cover the net from your starting blocking ready position to move laterally towards the left side antenna using a hop step, a shuffle step or a swing block step to block the opposing hitter b) to get from your blocking ready position to the the ten foot line to play defense in the front row once you know you don't have anyone to block because the opposing setter set the ball to their left side hitter volleyball player c) to get from the ready defense position as an off-blocker or front row digger to move laterally to get outside at the left sideline behind the ten foot line to prepare to

- Explosive approach speed used like an airplane who's on the runway gathering speed as they are about to take off into the air

- Good hand-eye coordination when the offensive plays are run at fast speeds and quick arm swings are needed to get the spiking hand to the ball ...faster; or in defense when forming your hands together to create a platform while running down a ball to dig it

- Overall athleticism since left side hitters have traditionally been known as the most athletic players on the team since they often have to cover the most area on the court when in left front position in offense or middle back position when in defense in order to cover both far corners of the deep court

- Endurance for multiple attempts of hitting balls during spike attempts made in long rallies where the

Watch this two vs two left side hitter volleyball drill that I have my outsides do in order to do get multiple and continuous cross court reps in both sharp cross court and deep cross court areas to work on how and where to contact the ball with the correct spiking arm swing technique. This is the cooperative drill version which means they're purposefully working on and prioritizing control the ball to a specific area as opposed to hitting hard to make a point.

3. What are the main responsibilities of a left side hitter?

Primary duties include:

- Attacking from position 4 in various areas on the opposing team's court

- Receiving serves as a primary passer after the libero who shares equal reception responsibility

- Playing back row defense and identifying quickly if you need to pass in the backrow or attack from the backrow

- Blocking right side attacks which come from the spike attempts from the opposite hitter on the opposing team

- Running various hitting patterns which may take you to areas on the net outside of the Zone 5 left front area in order to run offensive plays

- Communication with setter which reinforces how fast and high the outside set you're about to get will be based on the set your setter tells you you are going to get in offense

- Leading offensive strategy when working and communicating with the libero and and setter in order to run offensive patterns along different locations along the net

I created the zebra shirt for left side hitters who's spirit animal is the zebra, the animal who has alot of the same characteristics as the left side hitter.

4. Why is the left side hitter position so important?

Left side hitters are essential because they:

- Receive the majority of sets
- Provide primary passing support
- Create offensive opportunities
- Stabilize team defense
- Lead point-scoring efforts
- Balance court coverage
- Set team's offensive tempo

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5. What skills should left side hitters focus on developing?

Critical skills include:

- Approach footwork
- Arm swing mechanics
- Shot selection
- Passing technique
- Defensive positioning
- Blocking fundamentals
- Serve receive patterns

6. How can left side hitters improve their attacking?

Key improvement strategies:

- Practice varied approaches so that you can hit the ball set to you close to the antenna or offensive plays that require left side hitters to hit balls that are in front of and closer to the setter

- Develop different shots to include in your toolbox so you have weapons in your offensive arsenal like the wipe, the tool, hitting high seam between the block, hitting sharp cross court so the ball lands inside the ten foot line or deep cross court in the far corner or deep line in the opposing court

- Work on timing with setter so you can run offensive plays with lower faster sets that are second tempo sets that require the left side hitter to take their spike approach further inside the court and closer to the setter

- Study opponent tendencies and remember them so if a hitter in front of you keeps hitting line you can identify that tendency and adjust your blocking strategy so you block their line before your coach has to call a timeout to tell you to do so for example

- Perfect transition footwork so with the least amount of steps to get from your starting ready position when blocking or in serve receive to get to the adjusted position in defense or in offense

- Enhance vertical jump to help get the ball past the tall block in the opposite hitter position on the opponent's side

- Master emergency plays which prepare you to have a 'plan B' when the the setter is forced to run an "out of system" play

7. What defensive responsibilities do left side hitters have?

As a former pro volleyball left side hitter I can tell you the defensive duties include:

- Serve receive positioning which includes knowing where to be in the passing lane you are in based on where the opposing team's server is taking off from behind their service line

- Back row defense when you are middle back knowing where to start in your base position and where to go in your adjusted position based on where the opposing setter sets the ball

- Block coverage

- Transition defense

- Reading opponent attacks and remembering opposing hitter's tendencies (does the outside hitter only hit cross court? or do they tend to wipe the ball off the outside hitter's outside hands)

- Communication with libero since you usually play close together in defense its important to establish a relationship and an understanding on which balls the libero takes, especially the short ones, so you can be free to attack from the backrow

- Emergency dig coverage includes overhead contact digs like the tomahawk or pokey or overhead setting the ball which delivers a faster paced ball to the setter who gets the ball earlier which facilitates a faster offense

8. How should left side hitters work with setters?

Essential setter coordination:

- Establish hitting preferences with your setter who gets used to what and how you like to hit a ball whether its a faster paced set or a higher set

- Communicate during plays so that you can run different offensive plays in a row during a rally

- Develop timing patterns so you know the steps and speed needed to take differnt spike approaches depending on the set you've agreed to hit with your setter

- Signal play variations which means your setter can tell you, the left side hitter, what set to hit in a particular offensive play or you the hitter can signal what hit you want to get from your setter to hit

- Adjust to set location once you agree with your setter what sets you can get in serve receive and in a subsequent rally you know where your spike approach needs to take you along the net

- Provide feedback either to the backrow players in defense if you need to have help from players who play behind you who can see what space is open for you to hit to or to the setter so they can adjust the set so you have the best chance of hitting the ball successfully

- Create offensive chemistry by providing feedback to the player you're running an offensive play with

9. What mental skills are important for left side hitters?

Key mental attributes:

- Decision-making ability needed to decide quickly while in the air if you see blocking hands stopping you down the line to decide quickly to go cross court

- Court awareness needed to quickly identify open spaces to hit to on the opposing team's court

- Pressure management needed to stay cool while knowing that you will probably get set the ball in pressure-filled tie-score game situations

- Leadership qualities includes taking on the responsibility of demanding the ball from the setter in "tie-score' on game point situations

- Strategic thinking means looking and remembering to see what spaces are open around the opposing team's block especially if one spot was initially open and then you eed to change when the opposing team starts digging balls in that spot

- Emotional control in tight emotion filled situations when you, the left side hitter volleyball player makes a mistake or when someone else does.

- Competitive focus which requires a an aggressive attentiveness for long periods of time without allowing yourself to step on an emotional roller coaster throughout the game.

10. How can left side hitters become team leaders?

Leadership development through:

- Consistent performance
- Positive communication
- Supporting teammates
- Leading by example
- Taking responsibility
- Maintaining composure
- Showing work ethic

11. What common challenges do left side hitters face?

Typical challenges include:

- High-volume attacking
- Consistent passing demands
- Defensive expectations
- Physical endurance
- Mental fatigue
- Pressure situations
- Adaptation to blockers

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12. How can the left side hitter volleyball player prepare for matches?

Match preparation includes:

- Proper warm-up routine
- Mental visualization
- Studying opponent tendencies
- Equipment preparation
- Nutrition planning
- Rest management
- Team strategy review

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I created the zebra shirt for left side hitters who's spirit animal is the zebra, the animal who has alot of the same characteristics as the left side hitter.

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Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience. These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis. Sign up now!

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I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list.

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