Stanford coach John Dunning, who has coached 4 NCAA championship teams, offers tips here on how you can train setters to develop more consistent connections with their hitters.
Dunning emphasizes that eliminating variables plays a big role in creating smooth setter-hitter connections. For instance, if the team is practicing a high ball set, he suggests that the hitter leave at the exact same time every play – when the setter is touching the ball – so the setter can figure out how to deliver a set that best suits the hitter.
As you know, different hitters like different kinds of sets, but over multiple repetitions, the setter will get good at knowing the height and location preferred by each hitter as long as the hitter leaves at the same time on every play.