I SOMETIMES GET ASKED WHY SO MANY OF THE WINNING PLAYERS ON THE WPVA tour are in their 30s. The answer is simple, really. There are a lot of great athletes out there who can pound a volleyball, but it takes years to master the little things that will make you a champion. I was lucky to get an early start in my career, but it's never too late to improve your game.

Whether you're practicing or playing a match, the key is to make that extra effort to do things the right way. With that in mind, I've put together a few tips to help you get a headstart on your summer training program.

USE YOUR FOREARM

To make a good, one-handed dig on a short shot, you want to work hard and get yourself in position to contact the ball with the middle of your forearm the way Lynda Johnson is doing here. The key is to break your wrist and your elbow and scoop the ball back. By doing this, you'll keep it a little farther off the net and make it easier for your partner to set you.

CHALLENGE THE DEFENSE

Players often focus too much on analyzing the defense and not enough on just crunching the ball. Here are two good examples of aggressive play: Linda Hanley hitting through a big block rather than going to a finesse shot, and Krista Blomquist pounding the ball away from the block and challenging the defender.

Don't spend all your time worried about what the players on the other side of the net are doing. If the digger is camped right where you're planning to hit, give your spike a little extra juice and try to knock her sunglasses off. Hey, there's nothing illegal about that.

In the third photo, the blocker has taken away the angle. Rather than ripping the line shot, the hitter, Ali Wood, is trying to shoot the ball away from the defensive player. As a result, she's getting blocked. Remember, never be afraid to pound the ball at the defender and force her to make a great dig.

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

When your opponent's serve comes down the middle, it can be tricky for you and your partner to figure out who's taking the ball and who's setting. In this picture of Elaine Roque and Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, there's some confusion.

Elaine is passing, but Dennie is still going for the ball. When this happens, both players have to adjust. As the passer, Elaine should put the ball more straight up and down and not try to send it to the normal passing zone close to the net. Dennie should set the ball towards the center of the net because Elaine won't have time to scramble to the normal hitting spot on the right.

By being realistic about what you can do on a bad play, you'll increase your odds of getting out of a jam.

MASTER THE POKE

Good footwork is a big part of executing "The Poke." Let's compare the difference between these two photos of Karolyn Kirby. In the first one, stie's turning sideways to the net and limiting her shooting options. That's the lazy way. If you do this, you'll be off balance and the ball will control your offense rather than the other way around.

In the second photo, Karolyn is demonstrating a textbook "poke" by making the extra effort to get her feet in position and her body parallel to the net. That gives her far more control and creates an opportunity for her to put the ball almost anywhere she wants.