BLOCKING A BALL OVERHEAD

Key Points

• Adopt the ready position.
• Extend the hurley above the head, sliding the non-dominant hand down the handle of the hurley to meet the dominant hand at the top of the handle.
• Both thumbs should be facing towards the bas of the hurley
• The toe of the hurley should be pointed away from the body
• Keep eyes on ball at all times.
• Block the ball with the flat of the bas.
• Relax the grip to deaden the ball on impact, allowing the ball to fall at the feet or to be caught in the non-dominant hand. 

Technical Drills

Drill 1 – Basic – The Overhead Block

• This is a basic drill to practice the Overhead Block technique.
• Mark out a distance approximately 5 meters wide using cones.
• Divide the players into pairs, one ball per pair.
• Player A throws the ball underarm for Player B to block overhead.
• Player B allows the ball to fall to the ground and strikes it back to Player A.
• Reverse the roles after a set number of throws.
• As the players become more proficient, they must block the ball and catch it in the non-dominant hand.

Drill 2 – Basic - Block and Strike

• This is a basic drill to practice the Overhead block Technique.
• Mark out a distance of 10 meters and then 5meters using cones.
• Divide the players into groups of 3, one ball per group.
• One player stands at each cone.
• Player A throws the ball underarm for Player B at the 5 metre marker.
• Player B blocks the ball overhead allowing it to drop to the ground.
• Player B then turns and strikes the ball on the ground to Player C.
• Player C runs with the ball to take over as feeder from Player A
• Player A then moves to the 5 metre marker and Player B runs to take over as receiver.
• Vary the drill by getting the players to catch the ball in the non-dominant hand after blocking, before striking the ball on from the hand.

Drill 3 Intermediate - Move and Block

• This is an intermediate drill to practice the Overhead Block technique.
• Mark out a distance approximately 8 meters wide using cones.
• Divide the players into groups of 4, one ball per group.
• Two players line up at one end of the area, the other 2 line up 5m from the other end.
• Player A throws the ball underarm.
• Player B runs forward to block the ball overhead at the marker, catches it and hand passes it to Player C.
• Player C then throws the ball for Player D to catch.
• The thrower and receiver must follow the ball to take their place at the end of the opposite line each time.
• Continue the drill for a set time.

Drill 4 Intermediate 

• This is an intermediate drill to practice Batting a Ball Overhead.
• Divide the players into groups of 3.
• Mark out a distance of 5m and 3m using cones.
• Two players, A and C line up behind the first cone.
• Player B lines up behind the far cone
• Player A throws the ball for Player B to attack and bat at the 3m marker.
• Player A follows the throw to take up Player B’s position and Player B continues to the back of the line as Player C moves forward to catch the bat.
• Player C then throws the ball for Player A to bat, and so on in rotation to complete the drill.

Developing the Skill

Grid Game 1 

• This is a grid game to practice Batting a Ball Overhead.
• Divide the players into groups of 5.
• Mark out a grid 15m by 15m using cones.
• Mark a further grid 2m x 2m in the middle of the larger grid.
• Position one player at each corner of the larger grid with a further player positioned in the smaller grid.
• The middle player throws the ball for each of the outer players to bat in turn.
• A score is awarded for each bat caught by the middle player within the small grid.
• The middle player rotates after every four throws.
• Count the total number of catches after all of the players have completed the drill.

Fun Game

• This is a court game to improve the players’ overhead batting.
• Divide the players into pairs.
• Mark a line between the players using cones.
• Player A throws the ball overhead and bats to B, who bats the ball back to A.
• The players continue batting as long as possible, counting the number of successful bats.
• To make the game more competitive, mark a court on each side of the centre line.
• Each player tries to ground the ball in the other’s court, as in volleyball.