The first Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball history and the second winningest beach player ever, Karck Kiraly has long been famous for coming up with the impossible dig. In his new 172-page book, "Beach Volleyball," Kiraly reveals the secrets to the impossible. The following is an excerpt from chapter eight - "The Dig."

A few years ago in Minneapolis, Kent and I were up 12-11 in the finals with about 20 seconds left on the clock. Who else but our old rivals, Mike Whitmarsh and Mike Dodd, were battling us to the wire, and during a long rally, Whitmarsh got a close set right on the net. He was able to get a full approach and armswing - that meant the ball was coming hard! I knew that if he killed it, it would tie the game and give them the chance of serving to win the tournament.

I read the direction of his swing, stuck out my arm, and prayed. The ball popped straight up! The rally kept going, and we finally won it. We got another quick point and the match was over.

I remember Whit throwing sand at me right after the game and laughing. I had to laugh, too. Luck was a real factor in that play, we both realized. But I also know that if you go after every ball on defense, you're going to get some of those impossible balls up from time to time - luck or no luck - and win some important games because of it.

The digging part of defense in today's beach game is a function of the block, or course. It wasn't always that way. Before the blocking-over rule, crowds would go nuts watching great defenders like Bernie Holtzman and Ron Lang bring up impossible straight-down hits. In fact, in the '50s and early '60s, digging was done by taking the ball overhand with the fingers!

When I was coming up, I was amazed at how Jim Menges could come in so close to the net, his hands above his waist, and somehow get balls up from almost anywhere, any way - underhand, out to the side, overhand, off his shoulder, or sometimes off his head.

Although great digs probably occur less frequently today because of the block, the exhilaration of making a dig in beach volleyball is still unique. When you control someone's best shot and pop it straight up, there's a hush in the crowd followed by a rush of electricity. First of all, they're stunned that this 90-mile-an-hour spike got dug, and there's this instant excitement - an anticipation that maybe you'll kill it for a point. It's a sudden frenzy, getting louder and louder for the climax. If you bury the set, the go more crazy over that play than any other in the sport.

Defense on the sand is a skill that's hard to lay out in concrete terms. It's more an art than a science, possibly because so many variables are involved. You have a territory that covers about 90 percent of the court, and you'll face many different kinds of attacks - hard, soft and in between. A great digger indoors might not be a great defender on the sand. On hardwood, you have a smaller assigned area and hold your position, expecting the ball to land in front of you. On the beach, the ball might come high, forcing you to use an overhand dig, or you might be required to make a 30-foot dash and dive for the ball.

Technique

Starting position is very important. Stand with your feet spread a little more than shoulder-apart, well-balanced and ready to move in any direction - one foot slightly in front of the other. Have your arms and hands apart and be ready to run to the ball first, then dig it. For hard-driven balls, try to cushion the ball to keep it on your side of the net and at least 10 feet high. Pull your arms back a little with the dig, or fall backward with the ball to absorb some of its force. Always use two hands if you can - getting lazy and using one arm will cost you points. If a ball comes hard at your face (it must be driven hard for the open-hand dig to be legal), use the overhand dig by letting the ball hit your palms and fingers all at once. Push it straight up.

For shots that are far from you, a large part of digging is attitude.

Great defenders believe they can get any ball, no matter where it is. This demands that you charge the ball, hurling your body toward it to get it up - with two arms if possible. If you can only get one arm on it, use the arm that's closest to the ball - a hard thing to do when you have to use your non-dominant arm. Contact the ball on your forearm, snapping it upward to lift the ball. Remember, the key is to first get the ball up at all costs; then you must get up and attack it. For tough balls, don't worry about accuracy - just try to get the ball up to the middle of the court so your partner can set it.

As in passing, I like to stress the importance of playing the ball low on defense. Being low gives you more time to make a better play on the ball. This is true for balls your partner passes into the net or for covering sets when your partner gets blocked. Staying low under the ball will get you some surprising saves that can turn matches around.

The art of defense calls for good positioning as much as anything else. Usually, you start 10 to 15 feet back from the net (depending on the hitter's ability to hit the ball down steeply and on how sharp his cut shot is) and into the court to dig a normal angle shot. From that spot, you have to be ready to go any direction and distance to get the ball.

Good position means anticipation, or the ability to read the hitter. One of the best I've seen is Mike Dodd. First, he studies his opponents, so he has an excellent sense of what type of shot the hitter might try. Next, he reads the attacker's line of approach, body orientation, and armswing very well - all clues that will tell you where the shot is going. Based on those calculations, Mike somehow gets hit body behind the ball and pops it up, time after time.

Among the women pros, Holly McPeak's mastery of the art of digging has been a great factor in her success. In addition to knowing her opponents' shots, McPeak capitalizes on her exceptional quickness - she can dig hard shots or run down dinks with equal efficiency.

Strategy

Study, discipline, patience - those are the fundamentals of good defense. You must know your opponent's tendancies, then have the discipline to follow what you and your partner have practiced - and decided on - in competition. It won't always come easily. You might guess wrong, or your opponent might be guessing right every time! But stay with it. The chances will come if you're prepared.

Remember, after your partner gives you a blocking signal, it's up to you to decide how you're going to cover your area. For example, if your partner decides to block line, you can:

1. Stay in the angle, challenging the hitter's best heat
2. Run to the line at the last second in hopes the hitter tries a dink or deep rainbow shot
3. Head toward the line and sprint back to the angle
4. Go to the middle, wait and watch for the shot, then charge for the ball
5. Use any variation of these tactics

Occaisionally, you can get your cue for defense from your opponents' call. If the setter is yelling a loud "Line! Line!" you can gamble and go there in hopes the hitter follows the setter's suggestion. Then again, that's another reason hitters don't rely on the setter's call every time - it tips off the defense.

Good defense requires not only physical skill but good court sense. Here are some good drills to develop both.

Reading the Hitter Drill

Having someone stand on a table and hit hard and mixed shots is a great way to start learning defense. Begin by having him hit from crosscourt, then have him move the table to your line. He should try to duplicate the hitter's motions as closely as possibly. Work on reading his shoulder and armswing.

Mix 'Em Up Good

Another good drill for two players is to work on various aspects of digging. As the hitter, throw up balls to yourself, about five feet off the net.

First, hit hard shots at the digger - line and angle. Next, hit soft shots: cut, dink, deep line and deep crosscourt. Finally mix them up, attack from both sides.

And excellent variation of this exercise for two players is to draw a line down the middle of the court, dividing it into left and right halves.

You, as the digger have to play your entire half of the court. The hitter can hit any shot, at any speed, anywhere in that half. Your partner hits 20, then you hit 20. Keep score. Finally, as the ultimate challenge, do this drill with the digger trying to cover the entire court. It's a good test of attitude and courage - the goal being to put forth the maximum effort for every ball.

No Blocking Drill

Eventually, you'll need four players to work on every aspect of defense. A great exercise is to play practice games with no blocking allowed. Keep the sets a little more off the net than normal, but play the game as seriously as the regular version. Remember, that's the way they used to play it, and great defenders were the direct result.

"Beach Volleyball" by Karch Kiraly and Byron Shewman is published by Human Kinetics, P.O. Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825. Telephone: (800) 747-4457. humankinetics.com