What are the most effective Biomechanics for a Volleyball Spike?
Biomechanics is the study of examining forces acting on the body, and the effects of these forces. Athletes can be analysed by labratory testing under controlled conditions, field testing, or competition analysis. Biomechanics is used to diagnose an athletes weakness or better their ability. It is important to prevent injuries as well as enhance performance.
In Australia, there is roughly 225,000 people playing volleyball. Most of these participants are doing it as a way to be active and stay healthy, whereas other just simply do it for a bit of fun and to enjoy themselves with friends or with new people. Arguably one of the most important skills in volleyball is spiking. It is the shot that wins majority of the points in-game and the most powerful shot. Knowing the most effective biomechanics of the spike ensures the spiker to know where to place the ball, how much power is needed, and to move their body and muscles with the right technique to maximise the effectiveness.
In this blog we will be analysing and talking about most effective biomechanics of the volleyball spike.
Major question
What are the most effective biomechanics of the volleyball spike?
Answer
The most effective biomechanics of the volleyball spike are:
- Levers
- Newton's Third Law
- Summation of forces
- Velocity
Levers
In the volley ball spike the player’s arm becomes a third class lever. The aim of this is to create and
maximise speed. In a third class lever the effort is applied between the load and fulcrum. The player
would get more of an advantage in the spike if the effort is applied closer to the load. In the body the
muscles and bones work together to form levers. The bones work as levers, the joints act as pivots and the muscles provide the force to move the load. When the spiker makes contact with the ball it is vital that the spiking arm is at full extension and the ball is in front of that shoulder.
Newton’s Third Law explains the action and reaction of the spikers jump from the ground.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
During Newton’s Third Law a vertical force is applied when the foot makes contact with the ground.
When the spiker pushes off the ground (action) the ground pushes back (reaction) resulting in the
spiker propelling forward. In order for the player to jump higher the greatest vertical acceleration is
required before leaving the ground to be able to create the greatest initial vertical velocity (Ziv &Lidor, 2010). This movement is beneficial, but the spiker must time this perfectly so they do not make contact with the net and loose the point. It is crucial to make as much contact with the ball as possible since this creates a larger force.
Summation of forces throughout the body is critical in the process of the explosive action of spiking. It is important to follow it through with the correct order and technique to maximise the force. The spike and force starts with a stable base. The knees then start the movement by bending, generally at 90 degrees, also bringing the hip flexion into action. As the athlete then pushes up from this position the core and trunk are fully flexed, generating the force that is then transferred to the upper body. As we reach the final stage in the spike, it comes down to the shoulder and arm muscles. The arm is swung back and accelerated toward the ball, the wrist flexors contract, allowing the combination of forces from every muscle to be applied to the ball through the hand. To get the shot perfect, it is absolutely important to get the timing of movements at each joint correct as it determines the control of the hand and size and direction of the force being applied to the ball.
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Velocity
The velocity, speed and direction the ball is travelling in, is a vital factor in winning the point for your team. It is important to have full control of your hand in order to apply the force to the ball with as much or as little power,and in the direction that is most suitable to hit to.The place you want to hit the ball to is where the opposite team aren't, your best bet is to hit at space or just a subtle knock over the net which they won't expect.
Conclusion
In conclusion, levers, Newton's 3rd Law, summation of forces, and velocity are crucial to improving
game play. Newton's Third Law is important because it helps the spiker improve their height and
reach a higher distance without hitting the net. Levers are important because they increase the power
and control a player has over spike. These biomechanics help to improve game play by helping the
players awareness of the game and effectiveness of the spike. This will better the outcome of the
game, by increasing their chance of scoring and chance of winning.
Reference List
https://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/performance_support/movement_science/biomechanics [Accessed 23 May 2018]
file:///C:/Users/stephanie%20zisimopoul/Downloads/2016-2017+Annual+Report.pdf [Accessed 24 May 2018]
https://www.slideshare.net/pfordham/force-summation-powerpoint [Accessed 2 June 2018]
Eschooltoday.com. (2018). What is a lever simple machine. [online] Available at:
http://eschooltoday.com/science/simple-machines/what-is-a-lever.html [Accessed 21 May 2018].
Pas.rochester.edu. (2018). Newton's Three Laws of Motion. [online] Available at:
http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~blackman/ast104/newton3laws16.html [Accessed 24 May 2018].
Science Learning Hub. (2007). What levers does your body use?. [online] Available at:
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1924-what-levers-does-to-your-body-use [Accessed 21
May 2018].
Skoumbros, A. (2014). Biomechanics Blog: The Volleyball Spike. [online]
Antheasbiomechanicsblog.blogspot.com. Available at: http://antheasbiomechanicsblog.blogspot.com/
[Accessed 7 Jun. 2018].
Technologystudent.com. (2018). Classes of Lever. [online] Available at:
http://www.technologystudent.com/forcmom/lever1.htm [Accessed 21 May 2018].
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