Volleyball Setting Tips

Volleyball setting techniques and tips for success.

The ultimate goal with setting is to get the ball to an attacker. The game is all about your attackers getting kills. And the better the set, the more likely the attacker will get a kill to score. 

Setting Technique

Setting technique is important for accurate setting. The goal is to get attackers good consistent sets. 

Also, to be good at setting, proper positioning is important. 

When first learning to set, the main focus should be on getting in proper position to set. 

Body Position

The body position refers to the setter position just prior to, during, and following the contact with the ball. 

The setter should be in a stance with feet shoulder width. Shoulders over toes with a slight flex at the waist. 

Shoulders should be loose, relaxed, and forward. 

The feet should be staggered, with the right foot forward. 

Setting Footwork

It's important for a setter to be athletic. The more athletic and better a setter is at adapting to a variant pass, the more likely the setter will get in good position. 

Jump Setting

Training in practice should mirror the skill itself. 

When you are preparing to set... 

1. Get to the target.


2. Be ready to move from the target.


3. Beat the ball to the spot.


4. Stop and set the ball.

During the volleyball setting motion, weight should be transferred for left to right foot. 

Footwork is key to success in setting. In the beginning of learning to set, use proper footwork every single time. Footwork should be practice to the point of not having to focus on it any more. It should be done so much that the setter doesn't have to think about doing it. 

Do good footwork so much that when it's done wrong, you feel it. If a coach has to tell you your footwork is wrong, then you haven't done it enough. 

If a setter sets with bad footwork, this will create bad habits. The more reps with bad technique, the longer it will take to change the bad habits. 

Important Tips for Volleyball Setting

• Know who your attackers are. Every team has primary attackers. These players get the most kills and should be set the most often.

Men's Volleyball

• The high outside set is the most important set. Setting drills need to include sets high outside. The importance of setting the high outside ball should be emphasized over and over again in practice. All players on the team should be able to set the high outside set.



• Develop good setting technique.Setting the ball clean with little spin is important. The more consistent the technique is, the more consistent the placement of the sets.
You'll also be less likely to be whistled for an illegal double contact. 


• Anticipate your teammates passing. Good volleyball setting is all about getting in position. And the better you are at anticipating the pass, the better you'll be at getting in good position to set. 
  
  Have you ever noticed that some setters seem to get in good position to set all the time? They aren't ever late getting there. The reason it's so easy for them to get in position every time is because they anticipate so well.


• Develop skills for dumping the ball. The setter attacking the second ball is especially important if the setter is on the front row. When running a 5-1, the setter will be on the front row with 2 attackers. If the setter has developed skills for attacking the second ball, this will take some pressure off the other attackers. If the setters second ball attacking skills are really good, this could be a primary weapon for attacking.

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