Clint Brown, Head Volleyball Coach, Salado High School (TX)
Full video on Glazier Drive: Location, Location, Location – Scoring from Every Pass, Every Set
OVERVIEW
Coach Brown breaks down the mental and technical aspects of a hitter’s decision-making, emphasizing that great hitters don’t just swing — they read, process, and execute.
EYE WORK & DECISION MAKING
The coach stresses that hitters who are too ball-focused miss critical peripheral information. Hitters should be asking questions like: How aggressive can I be? What does the block look like? Is the middle serving? Where is the libero playing defense? The goal is to train these habits in practice so they carry over to games.
THE TRASH CAN DRILL
One hitter faces a full team of six. Free balls are tossed to the passer, and the hitter calls for every set. The hitter must reach a target number of kills (five, seven, etc.) to get out. A short rest is given after each kill to simulate game rhythm. The drill builds decision making under fatigue and mental toughness — especially valuable in long, grueling matches. An out-of-system variation is also used with a DS instead of a setter.
THE TAPE DRILL
Strips of tape are placed on the floor to create target zones. Three passers rotate across the back row while servers serve at them — no defense is played. Middles must alternate attacking to different zones (away from six) and earn two points per kill. Pins earn one point by hitting either a deep line shot or a cut shot. The team races to 20 points in two minutes, rotating hitters in and out to manage fatigue while maintaining intent and precision.