SIX SECRET WEAPONS for SETTERS

As a setter, you hold both the team's most powerful position and its most frustrating one. Setters control the tempo, create the offense and maintain momentum. But with errant passing or weak hitters, setters can be left feeling ineffectual and unable to contribute.Even if you sometimes feel dependent on your teammates, remeber that a setter has weapons, too. Here are six that make you a more potent player.

Good Setting Technique

Setters sometimes forget to keep an eye on their own technique. If hitters aren't converting and passers aren't performing, it's easy to shift the blame. But if you work on achieving your best technique on every set, you can save a lot of those bad passes or give a struggling hitter an easy set.Let's look at setting from the ground up. First, work on having quick feet-this means moving to the ball before setting it. Once you're there and ready, your feet should be shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Bend your knees slightly, and make sure your weight is evenly distributed from the balls of your feet to the arches. Don't have your weight too far forward or backward because this makes it difficult to change direction.The foot closest to the net should be a little ahead of the other one. This slightly rotates your hips and shoulders into the court and helps keep the set from drifting too tight or over the net.Elevate your hands to your forehead, and cock your wrists in anticipation of the set. Keep your hand and fingers firm, point your elbows out at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees.When you set, use all of your fingers. The ring fingers and the pinkies help stabilize the ball. Also, the more surface area you touch, the better you can control the ball.Take the set at your forehead, and use your entire body to push it towards the hitter. Finally, follow through with your hands after the ball is released; this helps keep it in a true trajectory.

The Tip

This is often used by setters who receive a too-tight pass. But by using it only as an emergency play, they lose out on the offensive power behind the tip.The best time to use the tip is on a good pass because the defense won't expect it. You have to execute it fairly quickly, but being deceptive is more important than being fast. Good setters combine both speed and deception when they tip.When executing the tip, use a firm hand and a quick wrist. Avoid using your elbow as a lever because this "slam dunk' technique will usually get you called for a throw.You can tip with either hand, and you can direct the ball forward, behind you or to the middle of the court. A tip can be hit short or deep.I usually tip to the middle because it allows me to be the most deceptive. If the defense changes strategy or is covering the middle well, I'll tip toward the sidelines.It's a good idea to stick with your strong tip, but still throw in a little variety. Eight o ten times I'll go with my favorite shot, but the other times I'll target a new area. And if my opponents start expecting the short tip, I'll go to the deep corner.

The Jump Set

Jump setting is a great setter's tool, and it creates many advantages. First, it speeds up your offense because you reach the ball sooner. Second, it often makes it easier to set quicks or shoots because you're closer to the height of your attacker as she jumps in her approach. And third, it can fool your opponents into thinking you're going to attack. If they put a blocker on you, that's one less blocker for your hitter to worry about.I like to jump set to the outside because a lot of setters jump only when they're going to set the middle.I think it's important that setters learn to set every set both from the ground and from a jump set. When you jump set, make sure your feet are in position first-you have to be under the ball to make an accurate jump set. Use the same body and hand positioning as you'd use on a set from the ground. Set the ball when you reach the peak of your jump. And practice, practice, practice. This set doesn't come naturally to most people and takes work to master.

Saving the Tight Pass

Sometimes, your passers will overshoot their target (you), and the ball will begin to drift over the net. Instead of cowering as the opposing hitter smashes it back at you, take steps to save the tight pass.On a tight pass, your first priority is to make a set. On a tight and high pass, the first option is to use a jump set. But doing this requires a pretty good jump and good arm and hand strength.Angle your back toward the net to keep from netting, jump straight up and contact the ball with both hands. Angle your hands back to your side of the court to help keep the set off the net.A second option-one that's much harder to execute-is the one-handed set (pictured). Reach high with your outside hand (the one closest to the net) and keep your hand, fingers and wrist stiff. You have to kind of poke at the ball. This is the safest way to do it without being called for a lift. The softer your hand and wrist are, the more likely it is that the ref will blow the whistle.If you can't reach the ball and you're a front-row setter, try to attack the ball either with a hit or a tip. Or you can put up a block against the opponent's attack.If you're in the back-row, the last-ditch options are limited. If the ball is out of your reach and drifting over the net, try faking a set. This will confuse your opponents and might keep them from attacking the overpass. Another thing you can do is fake a block by jumping, and then pull your hands down. This can also affect their options.

Saving the Net Pass

Almost as bad as an overpass is the pass that shoots into the net. But this doesn't take away all your setting options.Your first step is to save the ball. Watch to see where the ball is going to hit the net, and position yourself under it. Bend your knees, crouch down and wait for the ball to pop out so you can make a bump set (pictured).Keep an eye on where the ball contacts the net. If it hits up high, chances are that the ball will roll down the net. You'll need to stay close to the net to make this play. If the ball hits low, it will probably pop out. Be ready to react and move away from the net to reach it.The biggest mistake is to stay too high. If you're not crouching low and aren't ready to react, you're more likely to misjudge the ball, and then you won't have time to react.

Hand Setting the Low Pass

Sometimes a pass comes at you low and quick. Instead of waiting (or hoping) for the ball to hit the net, try to get your hands on it and set it from a low position. It takes a lot of arm strength to set an outside ball like this and a lot of leg strength to support your body in a crouched position. But if you can do it, this is the best way to deal with a low pass. Getting your hands on the ball gives you much better control and better location options.Get a quick read on the ball, and decide where it's going to drop. Hustle to that position, and get low. Make sure your feet and body are under the ball because you'll need that leverage to push the ball up. Take the set in the normal setting position, and push it to your target (By Lori Endicott).

www.volleyballmag.com

SIX SECRET WEAPONS for SETTERS

As a setter, you hold both the team's most powerful position and its most frustrating one. Setters control the tempo, create the offense and maintain momentum. But with errant passing or weak hitters, setters can be left feeling ineffectual and unable to contribute.Even if you sometimes feel dependent on your teammates, remeber that a setter has weapons, too. Here are six that make you a more potent player.

Good Setting Technique

Setters sometimes forget to keep an eye on their own technique. If hitters aren't converting and passers aren't performing, it's easy to shift the blame. But if you work on achieving your best technique on every set, you can save a lot of those bad passes or give a struggling hitter an easy set.Let's look at setting from the ground up. First, work on having quick feet-this means moving to the ball before setting it. Once you're there and ready, your feet should be shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Bend your knees slightly, and make sure your weight is evenly distributed from the balls of your feet to the arches. Don't have your weight too far forward or backward because this makes it difficult to change direction.The foot closest to the net should be a little ahead of the other one. This slightly rotates your hips and shoulders into the court and helps keep the set from drifting too tight or over the net.Elevate your hands to your forehead, and cock your wrists in anticipation of the set. Keep your hand and fingers firm, point your elbows out at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees.When you set, use all of your fingers. The ring fingers and the pinkies help stabilize the ball. Also, the more surface area you touch, the better you can control the ball.Take the set at your forehead, and use your entire body to push it towards the hitter. Finally, follow through with your hands after the ball is released; this helps keep it in a true trajectory.

The Tip

This is often used by setters who receive a too-tight pass. But by using it only as an emergency play, they lose out on the offensive power behind the tip.The best time to use the tip is on a good pass because the defense won't expect it. You have to execute it fairly quickly, but being deceptive is more important than being fast. Good setters combine both speed and deception when they tip.When executing the tip, use a firm hand and a quick wrist. Avoid using your elbow as a lever because this "slam dunk' technique will usually get you called for a throw.You can tip with either hand, and you can direct the ball forward, behind you or to the middle of the court. A tip can be hit short or deep.I usually tip to the middle because it allows me to be the most deceptive. If the defense changes strategy or is covering the middle well, I'll tip toward the sidelines.It's a good idea to stick with your strong tip, but still throw in a little variety. Eight o ten times I'll go with my favorite shot, but the other times I'll target a new area. And if my opponents start expecting the short tip, I'll go to the deep corner.

The Jump Set

Jump setting is a great setter's tool, and it creates many advantages. First, it speeds up your offense because you reach the ball sooner. Second, it often makes it easier to set quicks or shoots because you're closer to the height of your attacker as she jumps in her approach. And third, it can fool your opponents into thinking you're going to attack. If they put a blocker on you, that's one less blocker for your hitter to worry about.I like to jump set to the outside because a lot of setters jump only when they're going to set the middle.I think it's important that setters learn to set every set both from the ground and from a jump set. When you jump set, make sure your feet are in position first-you have to be under the ball to make an accurate jump set. Use the same body and hand positioning as you'd use on a set from the ground. Set the ball when you reach the peak of your jump. And practice, practice, practice. This set doesn't come naturally to most people and takes work to master.

Saving the Tight Pass

Sometimes, your passers will overshoot their target (you), and the ball will begin to drift over the net. Instead of cowering as the opposing hitter smashes it back at you, take steps to save the tight pass.On a tight pass, your first priority is to make a set. On a tight and high pass, the first option is to use a jump set. But doing this requires a pretty good jump and good arm and hand strength.Angle your back toward the net to keep from netting, jump straight up and contact the ball with both hands. Angle your hands back to your side of the court to help keep the set off the net.A second option-one that's much harder to execute-is the one-handed set (pictured). Reach high with your outside hand (the one closest to the net) and keep your hand, fingers and wrist stiff. You have to kind of poke at the ball. This is the safest way to do it without being called for a lift. The softer your hand and wrist are, the more likely it is that the ref will blow the whistle.If you can't reach the ball and you're a front-row setter, try to attack the ball either with a hit or a tip. Or you can put up a block against the opponent's attack.If you're in the back-row, the last-ditch options are limited. If the ball is out of your reach and drifting over the net, try faking a set. This will confuse your opponents and might keep them from attacking the overpass. Another thing you can do is fake a block by jumping, and then pull your hands down. This can also affect their options.

Saving the Net Pass

Almost as bad as an overpass is the pass that shoots into the net. But this doesn't take away all your setting options.Your first step is to save the ball. Watch to see where the ball is going to hit the net, and position yourself under it. Bend your knees, crouch down and wait for the ball to pop out so you can make a bump set (pictured).Keep an eye on where the ball contacts the net. If it hits up high, chances are that the ball will roll down the net. You'll need to stay close to the net to make this play. If the ball hits low, it will probably pop out. Be ready to react and move away from the net to reach it.The biggest mistake is to stay too high. If you're not crouching low and aren't ready to react, you're more likely to misjudge the ball, and then you won't have time to react.

Hand Setting the Low Pass

Sometimes a pass comes at you low and quick. Instead of waiting (or hoping) for the ball to hit the net, try to get your hands on it and set it from a low position. It takes a lot of arm strength to set an outside ball like this and a lot of leg strength to support your body in a crouched position. But if you can do it, this is the best way to deal with a low pass. Getting your hands on the ball gives you much better control and better location options.Get a quick read on the ball, and decide where it's going to drop. Hustle to that position, and get low. Make sure your feet and body are under the ball because you'll need that leverage to push the ball up. Take the set in the normal setting position, and push it to your target (By Lori Endicott).

www.volleyballmag.com

Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro : Sukses di Voli Pantai, Moncer di Voli Indoor

Sudah Kenal Voli sejak Lahir

Sama-sama cabang olahraga voli, voli pantai dan voli indoor memiliki karakter yang jauh berbeda. Hanya segelintir pemain yang bisa sukses di dua dunia itu. Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro adalah salah satu di antaranya.

--Gaya khas Koko ketika memulai serve--

photo by teh rina JARUM jam menunjukkan pukul 09.00 WIB Minggu (25/1). Cuaca yang cerah sangat cocok untuk bersantai. Namun, Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro sudah bersiap-siap meninggalkan hotel tempat para punggawa Palembang Bank Sumsel menginap. Bersama rekan-rekan setim, dia naik bus menuju GOR C-tra Arena, Bandung, untuk menjalani sesi latihan pagi.

Ya, selama musim Proliga 2009, Koko harus rela meninggalkan lapangan voli beralas pasir untuk memenuhi kewajiban sebagai anggota Bank Sumsel. Setidaknya hingga Maret mendatang, dia harus menanggalkan identitas sebagai pemain voli pantai untuk membela klub debutan di Proliga tersebut. Tuntutan manajemen yang berambisi meraih juara di musim perdana pun dijawab dengan permainan ciamik di lapangan.

Meski lebih dikenal sebagai pemain voli pantai, Koko memang langganan dikontrak klub voli indoor. Terlebih saat even-even besar seperti Proliga atau kejuaraan antardaerah. Tidak hanya meramaikan, dia selalu memberi kontribusi positif bagi klub yang dibela. Tak salah kalau akhirnya dia dianggap sebagai pemain voli pantai pria yang paling sukses di voli indoor.

"Sejak Proliga kali pertama diadakan, saya ikut. Saat itu, saya diajak tim Jakarta Bank DKI. Tidak langsung juara sih, tapi saya dapat gelar pemain dengan servis terbaik," kenang pria kelahiran 2 Oktober 1981 tersebut. Dia membela Bank DKI selama tiga musim. Yakni, hingga berakhirnya Proliga 2004.

Koko sempat absen dari kompetisi voli profesional paling elite di Indonesia tersebut selama dua tahun. Yakni, 2005-2006. Saat itu, dia harus konsentrasi mengikuti pelatnas proyeksi Asian Games Doha 2006. Setahun kemudian, dia come back. Kali ini, klub Jakarta P2B Sananta yang menyewa tenaganya. Pada 2008, dia membawa tim milik Pemda DKI tersebut sebagai juara Proliga.

"Saya memang basic-nya dari voli indoor. Voli pantai itu malah baru saya kenal setelah lama latihan indoor, sekitar umur 17 tahun. Jadi, sekarang saya gampang untuk main voli indoor," papar pria yang kali pertama berlatih voli di bawah arahan klub Ganefo Jogjakarta tersebut.

Jika dibandingkan durasinya, Koko lebih lama bersentuhan dengan voli indoor. Sebab, ayahnya juga pemain voli daerah. Dia mengenal olahraga itu saat kecil. "Istilahnya, kit mbrojol aku wes main voli (sejak lahir saya sudah main voli, Red)," candanya.

Kendati demikian, Koko masuk Ganefo ketika berusia 14 tahun. Saat itu, dia duduk di kelas 2 SMP. Sebelumnya, bungsu dari dua bersaudara tersebut sempat mencicipi masuk klub bulu tangkis. Maklum, di awal dekade 1990-an, olahraga tepok bulu itu melejit popularitasnya berkat prestasi di Olimpiade Barcelona 1992 serta Piala Thomas dan Uber 1994. "Tapi, hanya tahan dua tahun. Setelah itu bosan dan balik lagi ke voli. Lha wong dasarnya memang anak voli," ungkapnya.

Perkenalannya dengan voli pantai pun tidak disengaja. Pada 1998, Koko mengikuti kejurnas junior voli pantai dan indoor di Jakarta. Kebetulan, DIJ tidak memiliki pemain voli pantai. Karena atlet diperbolehkan bermain di dua nomor sekaligus, dia ditarik ke skuad voli pantai. Jadilah dia main dobel. Pagi, main di dalam gedung, malamnya dia langsung hijrah ke pantai.

Tak disangka, justru di voli pantailah prestasinya mencuat. Di debutnya sebagai pemain voli pantai, dia membawa DIJ meraih runner up. Permainannya pun sangat istimewa. Sampai-sampai, pelatnas pun kepincut. Setahun kemudian, dia masuk timnas voli pantai Indonesia.

Sebenarnya, ada perbedaan karakter antara dua cabang voli tersebut. Dalam voli indoor, pemain harus bisa main cepat dan taktis. Spike keras dan tajam efektif untuk mematikan lawan. Di pantai, pemain tidak saja berhadapan dengan lawan. Tapi, pasir yang membuat lompatan jadi berat dan cuaca yang kadang tak bersahabat. Cepat saja tidak cukup, tapi harus smart dan didukung fisik kuat.

"Setelah lama main di pantai, saya sempat tidak bisa main indoor. Jadi bodoh lagi. Butuh latihan sebulan penuh sebelum siap main. Sekarang, karena sering pindah arena, jadi terbiasa," papar Koko. (retna christa/diq)

BIODATA

Nama: Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro

Lahir: Jogjakarta, 2 Oktober 1981

Postur: 185 cm/ 80 kg

Orang Tua: Sarodjo Darsono (ayah)-Dinik Rahayuni (ibu)

Karir Klub

1995 -2002 : Ganefo Jogjakarta

2002 - 2004 : Jakarta Bank DKI

2007 - 2008 : Jakarta P2B Sananta

2009 - ... : Palembang Bank Sumsel

Prestasi

Voli Pantai :

Emas Asian Beach Games I Bali, 2008

Emas SEA Games XXIV Thailand, 2007

Perak SEA Games XXIII Filipina, 2005

Emas Kejuaraan Dunia Antarmahasiswa 2004

Emas SEA Games XXII Vietnam, 2003

Perak Asian Games Korea Selatan, 2002

Voli Indoor

Juara Proliga 2008 (Jakarta P2B Sananta)

Perak PON Kaltim XVII 2008 (DIJ)

Servis Terbaik proliga 2002 (Jakarta Bank DKI)

sumber: Jawapos

Nety Dyah Puspitarani, Muka Baru di All Star

Gelaran All Star yang kurang dua hari lagi ini, memunculkan sebuah nama baru, Nety Dyah Puspitarini. Quicker asal Jakarta Electric PLN ini baru pertama kali terpilih untuk bertarung di All Star.“Nggak nyangka”, itu yang dikatakan Nety usai mendapat informasi bahwa dia terpilih.

“Saya kan baru dua kali ikut Proliga, makanya saya senang sekali tahun ini sudah bisa terpilih”, ungkap gadis yang tahun lalu memperkuat Jakarta Popsivo Polwan.

Meskipun menang atau kalah tidaklah terlalu penting dalam All Star nanti, tapi Nety berjanji akan bermain dengan sungguh-sungguh dan menyuguhkan permainan terbaiknya. “Tapi, tentunya saya tidak akan over confidence dan akan bekerja sama dengan pemain yang lain”, lanjut Nety.

Pemain asal Solo ini juga mengaku tidak canggung meski harus tergabung dengan pemain dari klub lain yang lebih senior dan dengan pelatih yang berbeda. “Saya sudah terbiasa main dengan teman yang berbeda-beda, jadi tidak ada masalah untuk penyesuaiannya”, terang pemain bertinggi 174 cm ini.

Besar di klub Vita Solo, gadis 18 tahun ini juga tergabung dalam timnas Junior Indonesia yang ambil bagian di Kejuaraan Junior Asia di Taiwan dan Kejuaraan Junior Asean di Jember

Voli Ingin Pertahankan Tradisi Medali di SEA Games

JAKARTA - Pelatnas bola voli yang disiapkan ke SEA Games Laos bulan Desember mendatang harus dilaksanakan sejak jauh-jauh hari. Pelatnas lebih dini diakui oleh Ketua Bidang Pembinaan dan Prestasi PP-PBVSI Heyzer Harsono semata-mata untuk lebih memfokuskan pada kekompakkan tim untuk mempertahankan medali di SEA Games Laos bulan Desember mendatang. "Tradisi medali di cabang voli harus kita pertahankan, untuk itulah kami melaksanakan Pelatnas lebih awal dari jadwal KONI Pusat," ungkapnya di Sekretariat PP-PBVSI, Selasa (5/5).

Dikatakannya, untuk tahap awal menggelar Pelatnas ini, pihaknya mendapat bantuan selama Pelatnas dari pihak Samator dan Petrokimia. "Nanti kalau sudah pihak KONI Pusat melaksanakan Pelatnas, baru kami gabung dengan KONI termasuk dana selama Pelatnas," tuturnya.

Tradisi medali diakuinya harus tetap dipertahankan mengingat prestasi voli Indonesia sudah mulai disegani di kawasan Asean, terutama di kelompok putra, baik itu di voli indoor atau di voli pantai. "Tradisi medali emas voli indoor putra harus tetap kita pertahankan dong, begitu juga di voli pantai, tetapi untuk voli indoor dan pantai putri, kami targetkan masuk final," paparnya.

PP-PBVSI melakukan Pelatnas lebih awal SEA Games Laos selain untuk lebih kekompakkan tim Pelatnas, juga untuk persiapan babak kualifikasi Piala Dunia Bola Voli Pria tanggal 9 hingga 11 Juni mendatang di Thaiand.

"Di babak kualifikasi ini nanti kita akan menghadapi Arab Saudi pada tanggal 9 Juni, kemudian tanggal 10 Juni menjajal kekuatan runner-u Grup B dan belum diketahui, dan tanggal 11 Juni melawan tuan rumah Thailand," kata Heyzer.

Dijelaskannya, tim Indonesia sudah lebih dahulu lolos dari kualifikasi awal. "Nanti di Thailand itu, jika kita berhasil menang dua kali, tentu kita langsung lolos ke putaran final Piala Dunia yang jadwalnya belum kita terima," katanya.

Selain tim putra yang akan disiapkan ke berbagai kejuaraan baik itu kualifikasi Piala Dunia, kejuaraan Asia, PP-PBVSI diakui Heyzer juga menyiapkan tim bola voli indoor putri. "Tim putri juga kami siapkan ke kejuaraan Asia di Thailand, tanggal 1 hingga 8 Juli mendatang dan kejuaraan Asean senior di Filipina," ujarnya.
Sumber :Tribun Jabar