Defending tips must be part of your defensive plan. Do not leave your team vulnerable to this tactic. In this video clip Coach Mike Johnson, associate coach at Notre Dame, demonstrates an effective Tip Drill.
Your defenders not involved in the block must be positioned properly and prepared to defend a variety of attacks, including the tip. In this tip drill one team is attacking and one is defending. The defending team must control five balls from the attacking team in a 1 minute time span. The attacking team will receive a free ball to start the tip drill. The attacking team should mix-up their attack such that the defense does not know when a tip is coming.
The front row players are not allowed to jump. They must use the proper footwork and get in position to block, but they will not be involved in defending the attack. The front row player not involved in the block, must position themselves properly and help defend the attack.
This tip drill teaches the defenders to read the setter and the hitter in an attempt to determine what type play the offense is getting ready to use. The defending team must control five balls in 1 minute in order to rotate out. Coach Johnson also shares his NO GO Rule which states that if a team does not pursue a ball the lose all of their points. In this tip drill it would mean they would go back to zero controlled balls.
This drill is just one of many drills and instructional tips that Coach Johnson shares in his DVD. For more information about this DVD click the link: Skill Development Drills: Defense.
The YouTube video below has audio, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site. Note some schools block access to YouTube. Click the arrow to play