This video, narrated by coach Beth Launiere, provides a detailed look at middle hitter transition footwork following a block.
Launiere demonstrates from two starting points – dropping and approaching from the left side and dropping and approaching from the right.
Left-side transition footwork (four-step hitting approach)
After blocking, the middle turns to face the inside of the court and takes these steps toward the middle of the court and the 10-foot line: right, left, right, pivot toward the net, then approach with left, right, left. (Launiere walks through it in the video.)
Right-side transition footwork (four-step hitting approach)
After blocking, the middle turns to face the inside of the court and takes these steps toward the middle of the court and the 10-foot line: left, right, left, hop (ending with the right foot in back and the left foot closer to the net), then approach with left, right, left.
As you’ll see in the video, Launiere recommends doing “a full circle” when starting on the right side and transitioning from the drop to the approach. She says she has done a lot of study on this and says it helps players stay open to the court, which allows them to better see what’s going on around them.
If you’re looking to work on middle hitter transition speed, check out this 6 v 6 drill from former Stanford coach John Dunning.