The purpose of this middle hitting drill, presented by high school and club coach Tod Mattox, is to improve the middle's ability to hit the high percentage “push” set, which is also called a "flare." If the ball is shanked to the left side, the focus shifts to an out-of-system bailout set called a “back.”
Each side has a back-row setter, two diggers and a middle. The middle is the only player allowed to jump. No tipping!
If the offensive team is in system, the setter sets the "push" to the middle while focusing on location – Mattox wants the ball no closer than two feet off the net.
“Once the ball gets to one foot off, then we start having problems," says Mattox, adding that more space between the ball and the net gives the attacker enough room to hit around the opposing middle.
A key focus for hitters in this drill is to delay their approach. Mattox says the hitter should be thinking “right, left” and “left” should be when the ball is in the setter’s hands. If hitters get to the net too quickly, they tend to be under the ball, which makes it harder to see the block/defense and get a good swing.
If the setter has to chase a shanked pass to the left side of the court, Mattox instructs the hitters to call for a "back," which is a back set to the middle of the court. This is a low-risk option that increases the chances of keeping the point alive.
For more about the middle-setter connection, check out Mattox's videos on "adjusting for middles with different tempos" and "six reasons a slower middle attack could be better."
