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Ball contact

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  • Beach dig : A dig made using both hands and fingers to surround the ball, squeeze and actually slightly lift the ball. Allowed when defending against a hard hit on the beach.

  • Bump : Similar in motion to a pass, but used to set a ball for an attack.

  • Chicken wing : When a defending player is forced to react very quickly to a ball coming at their upper torso, the player may lift a bent arm in the shape of a chicken wing to dig the ball.

  • Cobra : With the fingers extended straight and stiff, the ball is poked with the fingertips.

  • Dump: When on second contact the ball is purposely returned over the net instead of set to a hitter, which may result in a kill when the defense in unaware. Usually enacted by the setter.

  • Flipper : A reaching contact made with the outstretched back of the hand in a flipping motion. Popularized by beach player Andy Fishburn.

  • Floater/Float : A non-spinning serve that is unpredictable because its path is perturbed by air currents above the court, similar to a knuckleball in baseball.

  • Gator : A defensive digging technique used on the beach in the defense of a hard hit ball. The hands are formed into the shape of 2 gator jaws (the left hand on top and the right hand on bottom). The maneuver involves digging the ball with the bottom right hand and then directing it with the upper left hand.

  • Jump float : A jumping float server.

  • Jump serve / Jumper : a serve made famous by Karch Kiraly; the serving player tosses the ball in the air and into the court, then uses an attack approach to jump and serve the ball.

  • Kong : A one-handed block, usually because the blocker is late. Initially popularized by Randy Stoklos.

  • Pancake : When a player digs the ball by extending his or her hand flat on the floor, bouncing the ball off the back of the hand.

  • Pokey / Camel toe : A ball contacted with the knuckles especially on the beach.

  • Roll Shot : An attacker hits the set softly putting extreme topspin on the ball so that it will clear the block and drop quickly and directly over the block.

  • Sprawl : A type of dig in which the player does not dive forward, but rather places his hands on the ground and pushes his body forward and down. Similar to diving for a ball, but not actually leaving the ground.

  • Sky ball : A unique underhand serve in which the ball is shot unusually high into the air above the oppossing team's court in the attempt to confuse the receiver.

  • Thunder: A spike or attack that requires a lot of force from the arm, and a very high jump. The ball is hit steeply downwards from the point of contact, and is very difficult to receive.

  • Tip : A softer or off-speed finesse attack, usually committed with more of the fingers and fingertips than the whole hand as used in an attack.

  • Wipe / Swipe : When one player pushes the ball against the opponents block and physically wipes the ball out of bounds. Similar to a tool.
 
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Article details
Article ID: 33
Category: Know the "lingo"
Date added: August 30, 2009 3:50pm
Views: 18
Rating (Votes): Article rated 5.0/5.0 (1)
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