by Volleyball Players for Volleyball Players

The "Pancake"

If you haven't been playing very long you may not have seen the pancake used in a game, the right way. This months objective is to teach you some aspects of the pancake so it can be used correctly for some added fun and excitement.

The most important rule of the pancake is don't use it unless you have no other options. The mistake most people make is using it when the ball is falling within 3 feet of them. The outcome of this is the ball landing on your wrist first and the ball will continue to roll until someone is nice enough to pick it up for you. The only time you should use it is when your body is so stretched out, and the ball is falling faster than you initially thought, forcing you to fit the smallest body part possible under it, your flat, outstretched hand.

The picture below is of Pirate team member, Tyler Bunnelle. Ty is trying to perform a pancake as a ball has been dumped over the block towards the left sideline. Do you think he made it?

If Ty was trying to bump, or fist the ball then I would say no, but he used his left hand, placing it under the ball just as it was about to hit the floor. The variation you see is that he is swinging his arm across his body to direct the "Pass" to the Setter.

You get extra credit if you saw how low he was too. When in the act of "Pancaking". You must be as low as possible. In this instance, Ty was in the act of dropping back as the ball was tipped, therefore he had to lunge forward just to get his hand under it.

There isn't any special hand position, although if you cup your hand, as Ty has, when you lay your hand down and flatten your hand as the ball hits it. The ball will bounce off your hand with slightly more spring.

We hope you take some time to practice the pancake, most people overlook it and then realize in a game situation how much they would have liked to use it in that sideout they just lost.