How To Improve Volleyball Serve Efficiency: Learn To Serve More Aces

Discover effective serving drills, overhand float serve techniques, and jump float serve strategies to improve volleyball serve power, accuracy, and placement.

Ryanwils, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Welcome to my comprehensive guide on how to improve volleyball serve efficiency and accuracy.

Serving is a critical aspect of the game that can significantly impact your team's success.

This article is designed to provide you with valuable tips, techniques, and strategies to take your serving skills to the next level.

Whether you're a beginner seeking to refine your basic serve or an advanced player looking to add more finesse and power, this article is here to assist you.

By implementing the strategies and tips found within this guide, you can elevate your serving game and become a formidable force on the volleyball court.

Addi working on her standing floater in volleyball serve down the line.

Focusing on starting with hips open to the wall to her right, a consistent toss and a smooth arm swing when contacting the ball with the middle of her hand to the middle of the ball.

Throughout this guide, you will discover proven methods to enhance your volleyball serve.

I will explore exercises and drills that can help you improve your serving power, accuracy, and placement.

Additionally, I will delve into the important aspects of technique and mental preparation, as both play crucial roles in developing a successful serve.

Addi getting 100 overhand serve reps in on Super Bowl Sunday working on her standing float serve down the line.

Focusing on starting with hips open to the wall to her right, a consistent toss and a smooth arm swing when contacting the ball with the middle of her hand to the middle of the ball.

Get ready to serve up success and make an impact with your improved volleyball serve.

Let's dive in and unlock the secrets to serving with precision, power, and confidence!

Listen to what I tell Addi about being aggressive with her armswing.

Working on her floater in volleyball serve today we did 100 reps of the same serve to the same spot so we could problem solve and work on every body part movement...where things go so when its time to do everything faster...we have smoothed out and understood all the possible wrinkles.

How To Improve Volleyball Serve Tactics

When executing an overhand float serve, one effective tactical approach is to strategically target weaker passers on the opposing team.

By observing the pre-game warm-up sessions or paying attention to previous rallies, you can identify players who struggle with their passing technique or show signs of inconsistent reception skills.

Typically, weak passers are found in specific positions, such as the left-back or right-back area in the team's serve reception pattern.

Volleyball Serving Drills: Addi, Piper and Hadley Working on their Jump Float Serve To Chairs for Accuracy and Points during semiprivate training with me

Aim your serves towards these individuals to increase the chances of disrupting their reception and putting pressure on the opposing team's passing set-up.

How can you improve volleyball serve technique?

After improving your overhand float serve volleyball technique its important to find places on the court where you can serve in volleyball so you place the opposing team in difficulty.

Just serving the ball over the net isn't enough against tough teams.

You need to serve a volleyball so its hard for the other team to run a play.

Serve the 5/6 seam or 6/1 seam from the middle of your service end line
Serve short to the right Front or Position 2 is a smart play.

Overhand Float Serve Volleyball Tips Score More Aces In Volleyball If you serve a volleyball to the front row the setter has much less time to track the ball, stop, then set the ball especially if its an imperfect pass. (JMR Photography)

Improve Volleyball Serve Accuracy To Seam Zone 5 and Zone 6 and Seam Zone 6 and Zone 1

Because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Instead of serving from either corner of the volleyball court - which when you serve cross court gives a passer more time to get in position because the ball is coming from farther away...try standing right in the middle of the baseline and serve the seams between the two passers in zone 5 and zone 6 or zone 6 and zone 1.

Overhand Float Serve Volleyball Zones:The next time you have to serve a volleyball practice - set goals for yourself and MAKE your serves count for points in practice.

Usually in the backrow there are two people in serve receive (just like in beach volleyball).

Both the left back (Zone 5) and middle back (Zone 6) or middle back and right back (Zone 1) receivers are forced to decide on or fight over the "divorce maker" ball that goes right down the middle between the two of them.

If done right the ball will fall right between the two passers and you the server are a HERO not a ZERO!

Improve Volleyball Serve Accuracy To Volleyball Zone 2: Serve short to the right front or Position 2 is a smart play

Overhand Float Serving Volleyball Zones: If the ball is served to the front row the setter has much less time to track the ball, stop, then set the ball especially if its an imperfect pass.(Ralph Arvesen)

The same argument applies here about serving the TALL girl in the front row as an option - if she is in the position 2 spot but there's something else you need to look for.

Look for the Setter coming from the Right side of the court.

If you serve the front row player who is passing in position 2, when the Setter is coming from the right side of the court...the setter has to track the ball that was passed OVER her shoulder - her left shoulder while moving towards the net - then she has to set the ball quickly.

Why?

Improve Volleyball Serve Accuracy To Specific Volleyball Zones: No matter what, if the ball is served to the front row she has much less time to track the ball, stop, then set the ball especially if its an imperfect pass. (Matt Duboff)

Because she has very little time to adjust to a ball that has been passed right from the position she JUST came from.

Or served right to the position she just came from however you want to look at the situation.

No matter what, if the ball is served to the front row she has much less time to track the ball, stop, then set the ball especially if its an imperfect pass.

Additionally if the ball isnt passed perfectly then the setter has an even harder time of giving her hitters a good set, usually the ball is set off the net, the hitter makes an easier hit to dig and the defense has an easier time of digging the ball...ALL because of YOUR strategically placed serve.

So, the next time you have to serve in volleyball practice - set goals for yourself and MAKE your serves count for points in practice.

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I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list.

How To Improve Volleyball Serve Accuracy
Where Do You Go From Here?

Your options are:

You can learn more about Strategy by visiting the related links below.
Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
Or visit the pages in the How to Play Volleyball section in the drop down menu at the top of the page to get started.
Before leaving this page Say "Hi" to Miss Tattoo the Tiger wearing the #9 jersey below. Miss Tattoo is the starting defensive and serving specialist for the All Beast VolleyBragSwag All Star team.