Using an overhead target increases volleyball-specific vertical jump performance

Abstract

In volleyball, spikes, and block jumps are among the most important movements when earning points and impacting performance. Many studies have found a greater jump height after acutely augmented feedback and extrinsic focus of attention on vertical jump height. However, there are limited studies on the long-term effects of using an overhead target on volleyball-specific vertical jumps (block and spike jumps). Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of using an overhead target on the vertical jump heights of volleyball players. Twenty-five professional male volleyball players (age: 24.44 ± 3.78 years; height: 1.82 ± 8.79 cm; body mass: 80.96 ± 9.37 kg) were randomly assigned either to the experimental group with an overhead target (OHT) ( n = 9), group without an overhead target (WOHT) ( n = 10), or the control group ( n = 8). The OHT group performed vertical jumps with an overhead target before their regular training program, while the WOHT group completed vertical jumps without an overhead target before their regular training program. Meanwhile, the control group performed only their regular training program, which was a 5 week (3 days per week) program. All participants’ spike jump (SPJ) and block jump (BJ) results were assessed before and after the intervention. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (3 × 2) did not reveal any significant between-group interactions for SPJ and BJ ( F = 7.32, p < 0.11 and F = 1.59, p < 0.22 respectively), but significant results were found for the time effect ( F = 96.33, p < 0.01 and F = 132.25, p < 0.01 respectively) and group × time interaction ( F = 42.59, p < 0.01 and F = 61.52, p < 0.01, respectively). While the pre- and post-tests for BJ and SPJ values did not change in the control group ( p > 0.05), both of these values increased in the OHT group (60.00 ± 5.95–67.44 ± 5.98 cm, p < 0.01 for d = 1.24 and 49.00 ± 6.74–56.22 ± 5.29 cm p < 0.01 for d = 1.19, respectively) and WOHT group (57.50 ± 4.86–60.50 ± 4.99 cm, p < 0.01 for d = 0.60 and 47.75 ± 4.65–50.25 ± 3.69 cm, p < 0.01 for d = 0.59). It has been suggested that trainers and professionals can use an overhead target to increase the BJ and SPJ heights of professional volleyball players.

Presence of an Overhead Goal Does Not Improve the Effectiveness of Jump Training

“…In particular, the training with OG brought better results; however, the absolute difference between groups was small, i.e., 0.5 cm in the OG condition and 0.3 cm in the non-OG condition. In addition, the values we found are much lower than those reported by Makaruk et al (24) and Yildiz et al (44). In those studies, the absolute gain of groups training with OG over groups trained without OG was 3 cm in CMJ and about 4.5 cm in block jumps (volleyball), respectively.…”

“…Previous studies performed by Yildiz et al (44) and Makaruk et al (24) showed that plyometric training consisting of a series of various types of jumps with OG improved jump height to a greater extent than the same training performed without OG. In particular, after 5 weeks of intervention, professional volleyball players increased their spike and block jump height by about 12-15% when trained with OG and merely by 5% when trained without OG (44). Similarly, greater CMJ jump heights were found in a group who was instructed to touch the OG (gain of 12.8%) during practice than a group who was instructed to "jump as high as possible" (5.6%) or "reach their finger as high as possible" (5.4%) (24).…”

“…Although the effect of OG, external focus of attention, and provision of feedback in a vertical jump is already reported in the literature, there is still limited evidence that training protocols including OG brings significant improvement to the mechanical output in a vertical jump and, more importantly, that the effect of training with OG can be transferred to the task performed without OG. Previous studies performed by Yildiz et al (44) and Makaruk et al (24) showed that plyometric training consisting of a series of various types of jumps with OG improved jump height to a greater extent than the same training performed without OG. In particular, after 5 weeks of intervention, professional volleyball players increased their spike and block jump height by about 12-15% when trained with OG and merely by 5% when trained without OG (44).…”

The trend and evolution of training in volleyball: A bibliometric analysis of the last five years

“…Furthermore, in reviewing the training concepts, methods, and techniques most frequently highlighted in these studies, some of the concepts that received attention include "Vertical Jump", which emphasises the importance of vertical jumping ability in various aspects of the game, such as attacks and blocks (Chaturvedi et al, 2023;Sotiropoulos et al, 2023;Yildiz et al, 2023). "Biomechanics" highlights the role of biomechanical analysis in the understanding of technique and player performance (Idrees et al, 2022;Sudds et al, 2023).…”