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Post by haze on Aug 19, 2018 12:07:55 GMT -5
If you could engineer the perfect blocker and the perfect defender, which one triumph in team importance? I always thought controlling the net is the main priority of a match, but could a back row player control with exceptional attacking ability control the massive block? Does Phil make us think possibly not?
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Post by tafit on Aug 19, 2018 13:29:42 GMT -5
Perfect blocker wins.
First because if he succeeds he makes a direct point with his block while the defender still has to convert his defense with a transition attack (when he also needs an acceptable set from his partner). Second because a dominant blocker also facilitates his partner’s job, which a dominant defender doesn’t necessarily do.
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Post by tree on Aug 19, 2018 21:41:16 GMT -5
That said most of my favorite players to watch are defenders.
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Post by wonderwarthog79 on Aug 19, 2018 22:55:11 GMT -5
It is true that blocking and defending require different skills and preparation, but I never understood why a player couldn't excel at both. Mike Dodd was very good at both, known as a blocker indoors and a defender on the beach.
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Post by swift on Aug 20, 2018 3:13:27 GMT -5
It is true that blocking and defending require different skills and preparation, but I never understood why a player couldn't excel at both. Mike Dodd was very good at both, known as a blocker indoors and a defender on the beach. well in the 90s things were a little bit different. Players have gotten taller over the years and they are hitting the ball so high, that you have almost no chance to stop them with a smaller blocker. Nowadays you need to be about 6'7 or taller in order to be a dominant blocker (at least on the FIVB tour). And you can't really expect a 6'7 guy to be super quick and dig balls like Taylor Crabb. I mean it's not impossible, but in most cases these very tall guys have their limitations when it comes to speed, quickness, mobility, ball control etc. This being said, you obviously can be good at both blocking and digging. There are still some players on the FIVB tour that successfully do both, blocking and digging (e.g. Herrera/Gavira, Samoilov/Smedins) The problem is, that if you're undersized as a blocker you basically have to serve the smaller player even if he's the better sideout-player just because you most likely can't stop a (smart) tall guy from tooling your block or even hitting over you.
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Post by guest2 on Aug 20, 2018 4:09:16 GMT -5
A big block is more important for men, an elite defender for women. Although on the women's side it is definitely getting closer. Teams like Laborer/Sude, Agatha/Duda, Larissa/Talita, Antonelli/Salgado etc. win without a really elite blocker, whereas teams like Joanna/Anouk, April/Alix, and Kerri/Nicole have great blockers but struggled. (not a perfect comparison)
On the men's side a few teams do ok without an elite blocker, or at least a huge one, but they are few and far between and when the top teams are all playing well its the teams with huge guys that usually win out.
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Post by guest2 on Aug 20, 2018 4:12:01 GMT -5
One problem with the men's game is that now its so important to have one of these big monsters. I wonder if mandating that teams split block might get that under control and make the game more fun and defense oriented? Of course if could also drive out undersized defenders like Taylor, Nick etc.
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Post by unrated on Aug 20, 2018 10:22:00 GMT -5
One problem with the men's game is that now its so important to have one of these big monsters. I wonder if mandating that teams split block might get that under control and make the game more fun and defense oriented? Of course if could also drive out undersized defenders like Taylor, Nick etc. It'd be interesting, but I don't see it happening. The days of 2 mids (as opposed to big/little) are over. If you were putting together a top team of two "mid-sized" players, what height would you go with? 6'4? Tall enough to block some, but still able to defend? I'm not sure it's even plausible.
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Post by Semp12 on Aug 20, 2018 13:28:40 GMT -5
One problem with the men's game is that now its so important to have one of these big monsters. I wonder if mandating that teams split block might get that under control and make the game more fun and defense oriented? Of course if could also drive out undersized defenders like Taylor, Nick etc. It'd be interesting, but I don't see it happening. The days of 2 mids (as opposed to big/little) are over. If you were putting together a top team of two "mid-sized" players, what height would you go with? 6'4? Tall enough to block some, but still able to defend? I'm not sure it's even plausible. Two mids of course would have to be extra special to impact the FIVB, but I am sure we will see more and more big guys committing to defense at some point. Casey is a long 6'6". Bourne 6'6" and definitely can be comfortable there. Forcing a small guy to stay at the net kind of opens up for more hitting vs. shooting, so potentially less actual defense.
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Post by bvbllr on Aug 20, 2018 16:09:39 GMT -5
Looking at the FIVB you have a very good case for why best blocker makes the difference today. Mol outperformed any other player by far in recent tournaments: Hamburg: 37 blocks (2.5 per set), next player had 24 (1.4 per set) Vienna: 37 blocks (2.85 per set), next player had 31 (2.1 per set) de.beachmajorseries.com/en/teams-players/leaders?active=Teams+%26+Players_Player+StatisticsI think there are probably ~5 defenders on tour that could have won these tournaments on Mol’s side but there is no other blocker that would have gotten Sorum there - even though he clearly played as top defender on any of those tournaments.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2018 16:21:58 GMT -5
mol is very good. him and sorum run a unique defense that is only possibly with a block of equal or greater size. not a lot of blockers in the world could do what mol does. i think it is a superior defensive system by far to what phil and nick run, but phil could run the same system as a blocker
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Post by njcaa2020 on Aug 20, 2018 16:43:43 GMT -5
A big block is more important for men, an elite defender for women. Although on the women's side it is definitely getting closer. Teams like Laborer/Sude, Agatha/Duda, Larissa/Talita, Antonelli/Salgado etc. win without a really elite blocker, whereas teams like Joanna/Anouk, April/Alix, and Kerri/Nicole have great blockers but struggled. (not a perfect comparison) On the men's side a few teams do ok without an elite blocker, or at least a huge one, but they are few and far between and when the top teams are all playing well its the teams with huge guys that usually win out.
You're right about the women. The teams with two mid-sizes are most of the best. It's true in NCAA and internationally. UCLA won the national championship with a bunch of 5'9"s and 5'10"s, top to bottom. Germany won Olympic gold in 2016 with a 5'10" and 6'0" (Ludwig-Walkenhorst).
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Post by haze on Aug 20, 2018 21:42:34 GMT -5
Does Phil in his prime with Rogers beat kiraly and steffes?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2018 21:48:22 GMT -5
Does Phil in his prime with Rogers beat kiraly and steffes? easily
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Post by haze on Aug 20, 2018 21:57:03 GMT -5
Phil in his prime was an absolute beast. We will prolly not see a player like him in our lifetime.
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