Email Campaign Archive

How to Keep Hitting

-By Mike Tully


Maybe what volleyball players need is a good golf coach.

I say that because of what happened in the
recently concluded U.S. Open. A previously obscure
player named Lucas Glover captured one of the top
prizes in golf. And he did so despite hitting some
brutal shots early in the final round.

When he hit those brutal shots, he did something
that volleyball players often fail to do: Keep swinging!

He didn’t start to baby his swing, or cut back on
his power. He KEPT swinging.

This is an important lesson for volleyball
players, especially the outside hitters who are
expected to provide the offense. How often have
you seen a player change his or her style after
getting blocked once or twice, or after hitting
couple of balls out of bounds?

With some players, you’d think they had never
failed before. They take all their preparation and
skill, and throw it out the window. The start to
tip or do roll shots. They stop calling for the
ball. Pretty soon they are out of the game
mentally and emotionally.  

Lucas Glover was different. In fact all great
golfers are different. They know that during the
course of a round there will be some bad shots.
But they don’t let these bad shots completely take
them out of their game.

No. They simply regroup, and keep trying.

It sounds so simple, and yet volleyball players
don’t do it.

Here’s how to make sure you don’t let one error
destroy your game:

1. Practice, practice, practice, so you believe in
your skill.

2.Understand that EVERYONE makes mistakes.

3. Be a champion in the way that you respond to the
mistake. Just go up there and hit the next ball.

Lucas Glover’s game was a mess early in the fourth
round of the U.S. Open. But even though his GAME was
a mess, HE was not a mess. It should be the same for
you. When your game is a mess, take a deep breath and
keep playing!


-Mike Tully is a member of the “Yes, I Can!” coaching staff.
He blogs at www.totalgameplan.com

P.S. A Note From Dave:  Mike's point here is a perfect
example of how our "clearing method" can help a player.  It
gives them an exact method to help them "regroup" and
keep going for it!