1. Wait for your set in a "sprinter's stance." If you're a righthander using a 3-step approach, this means: right foot in front, weight well forward, right arm back, left arm in front (these arm positions help make your first step explosive). If you're hitting a high set, you should be completely stopped when the setter contacts the ball . . . wait another moment, then blast forward like you just heard the starter's gun.

2. The first two steps of your approach -- from start to left and from left to plant -- must be long and explosive, like you're starting a 100m dash. This clip shows exactly what these steps should look like.
   

3. Although the second step (i.e., from left to plant) must be long and explosive, it must be low as well. If it is a high, loopy step, you'll be adding unnecessary and counter-productive work for your muscles as you plant and jump. To keep this step low and long, drive your right knee toward the set while keeping your chest down. (A strong right-knee drive will also get you to a lot of sets that you don't think you can hit.)

   

4. While in the air from left to plant, you must put your body in the "power position" before you plant and jump. This power position consists of three characteristics:
   • Head and chest are down, preparing to pull upward as you plant.
   • Arms are straight and extended behind your body. You can get them there with a windmill motion or a breast-stroke motion or by just swinging them straight back . . . but get them there well before you plant.
   • Hips are low and behind both feet the moment before you plant. This allows you to use both legs to block your forward momentum and convert it to upward momentum.

5. Begin the jumping motion by pulling with your back and arms an instant before your feet contact the floor. Although your "right-left" plant should be almost simultaneous, your double-armswing should be so fast that your arms are more than halfway through their pulling motion -- that is, slightly in front of your hips -- by the time your left foot contacts the floor. To generate maximum "part-to-whole" momentum with your arms, they must remain straight throughout the double-armswing, and you must block them at eye-level the instant you leave the floor.

   In the frame-by-frame sequence below, note that the hitter's arms are a quarter of the way through their "downswing" as his right heel contacts the floor (frame 1). Note as well that when his left forefoot contacts the floor (frame 3) his arms have passed in front of his hips. Lastly, note that he "blocks" his arms in a high bow-and-arrow position as he leaves the floor (frame 5). Elapsed time from frame 1 to frame 6 is about .3 seconds.
   

   
   (view this clip)

6. At the exact same moment you begin your double-armswing -- that is, an instant before you plant -- you must also begin pulling with your back. This action generates momentum in your torso, which you will block with your abs the instant you leave the floor. While the clip above illustrates this part of the jumping motion reasonably well, this clip makes it even clearer.

7. As mentioned above, your feet should plant almost simultaneously -- right heel first, followed by left forefoot. Generally speaking, the more simultaneous the contact, the higher you'll jump. In addition, your feet should be fairly close together to insure that both legs are in front of your hips, and they should be angled slightly to the right to help get your right shoulder back and ready to hit. (A "wide, slow" plant, though it gets your shoulder in a good hitting position, allows your hips to pass over your right foot before you jump, which means only your left leg is blocking your forward momentum.)

In short, focus on two keys to improve your jumping technique:

• Always, always, always concentrate on approaching and jumping as fast as possible. You ought to be sprinting and bouncing off the floor, not approaching . . . then planting . . . then squatting . . . then jumping.
• The overall sensation of an approach jump should be one of "pulling" yourself into the air. If it feels like you're "pushing" yourself off the floor, you're doing it wrong.

Updated January 2005.