Here are two different blocking systems based on your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
In the clip below legendary high school coach David Bartley (6 state championships and a 15-year record of 350-58 at Cheyenne Mountain High School) discusses how and why he would employ both the Stack Right and Bunch Middle Blocking Systems).
Coach Bartley states that the number one goal is to get your best blocker on their best hitters and be willing to make adjustments to defend the opposition’s strengths.
The Stack Right is a strategy that Coach Bartley would employ when the setter is front row and the opposition has one excellent outside hitter. In this, he will sometimes put his middle blocker and right front on the outside and attempt to force weaker players to attack.
The weakness is that the left front will need to be a really good blocker.
He would only run this when the stats show that the opposition sets outside 90% of the time and he is willing to take his chances on the other 10% and hope is back row can defend against the weaker attack.
The second strategy that he details is the Bunch Middle.
This is a system he uses when the opposition has a great middle and they run a bunch of stuff for her. If you are going to use this strategy Coach Bartley suggests that you utilize swing blocking.
The weakness here is obviously at the pins and you will need to rely on your back row defense.
This clip is just a short sample of Coach Bartley’s presentation. The rest of his presentation, as well as hundreds like it, are available at Glazier ClinicsVolleyball Vault.
The video below has sound so please make sure that your speakers are on. Click the arrow to play the video