with Keegan Cook,
University of Washington Head Coach;
2x Pac-12 Champions (2015 & 2016);
2x NCAA Elite Eight appearances (2015 & 2016);
2018 U.S. Junior Women's National Team Head Coach;
2016 U.S. Collegiate Women's National Team Head Coach
University of Washington head coach and two-time Pac-12 champion Keegan Cook presents an information-filled video on blocking, including the fundamentals on movement, communication, and visuals. He provides details on how to position your feet, hands and body to prepare to defend at a high level.
In all, you'll see Coach Cook cover how to improve blocking skills by positioning the hands, feet and body of individual players, and then with players in bunch and spread base positions. Plus, you'll learn different footwork steps, ranging from 0-step to 5-step blocking techniques, as well as the finer points of swing blocking.
Blocking Breakdown
Cook begins by breaking down various blocking moves and single, double and triple blocking. You'll learn where to position your hands, including when to keep them up and when to keep them down based on where the position of the ball takes the setter. Additionally, Coach Cook covers reading the attacker and a number of footwork essentials, including how to progress from:
- No step blocks
- One step blocks
- Quick three blocks
- Crossover three swing blocks
- and five step blocks
You will also see how to position players in spread defense and bunch blocking.
Swing Blocking
Coach Cook dives into body positioning for swing blocks, including placement of feet, arms, and hands. You'll also learn:
- How to take a jab step, then cross over to make slow, then long, and fast steps.
- How to adjust when a blocker gets fooled.
- How to adjust the body to face the hitter and pole while making the move and how to throw your arms down, back, and up.
Coach Cook does a great job of giving useful coaching cues that you can adopt for your own players. He gives numerous insights to help athletes find out how to block, and also adjusts and fine tunes the players' skills. This video is sure to help you and your team learn how to block more effectively!
57 minutes. 2019.