How to Float Serve in Volleyball: 6 Ace Scoring Tips And Strategies

How To Float Serve In Volleyball | Improve Your Volley` ``

How to Float Serve in Volleyball: 6 Ace Scoring Tips And Strategies

Learn 6 tips on how to float serve to exploit opposing team weaknesses target weak passers or spot best court placement to increase your chances of scoring aces.



Serving in volleyball might seem simple when you're a beginner in high school, but when you become a junior varsity player you need to learn the strategies used by varsity players on how to float serve in volleyball in order to score more aces and points for your team.

In volleyball, a good serve can really turn things around especially if you're the player on your team who can spot the other team's weak points.

If you get your serve right, it can help your team score more points.


Why?

Because this is how you get more playing time at the varsity level.

Each one of these secrets and suggestions can be the game-changer, which shifts control to your team by exploiting the opponent's weak passers and the vulnerable spots on the opposing team.

In this article I will teach you how to float serve, transforming your standing float or jump float serve into a consistent point scoring weapon so YOU become the tactical server known for analyzing the receiving team's passers during rallies in order to identify weak receivers or susceptible areas.


Learn How "To Read" The Game


Keeping an eye on what's happening on the court and remembering player tendencies and patterns developing during past plays is a crucial volleyball skill.

I always tell my players to be aware of the game around them. Knowing what's happened in past plays can help you figure out how to use the other team's weaknesses to your advantage.

This savvy skill in volleyball that you need to improve is called "reading the game" in order to anticipate what will happen "next."

Varsity volleyball players have learned to "see and interpret early" what is happening and what is about to happen in the game happening around them on court and you will need to to do the same.


I teach my Boot Camp players and private clients the importance of talking about what's going on as they see it happening and to talk about what they see transpiring on the court all the time.

This helps you the player analyze each play as it unfolds so you can read, anticipate or spot the opposing team’s weak points in their offense.

Then you need to remember what happened in the past rallies and previous plays to help you create a a smart serving strategy that will help you score points from the service line.

When its your turn to serve, as you walk back behind the service line, your intent should be on how to float serve in a way to score a direct point.


How To Identify Weak Passers As Targets


How To Pick Who to Serve To

There are two types of float serve targets for you to go after or aim for with your serve

  1. weak passers on the opposing team
  2. strategic areas on the opposing team's court

6 Tactics On How To Float Serve For Points By Identifying Weak Passers


If you want to increase your possibilities of serving for points, you need to identify who and where the weak passers are on the opposing team.

Here some things to look for so you know exactly where to aim the ball to maximize the possibility of scoring an ace. 


How to Float Serve in Volleyball
Look for the nervous players


Watch for players who appear scared or nervous in serve receive.

Their lack of confidence in their passing ability or lack of experience makes good targets to serve to.


How to Float Serve in Volleyball
Remember which passer made a recent passing mistake


Take advantage of the player who just made the last passing error.

If you served a ball to a passer who made a passing mistake, keep serving them and do not take the pressure off of them because if they can make one error they can make two or three.


jump float serve in volleyball
zigazou76, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to Float Serve in Volleyball
Find the players clinging to their past errors


A lot of high school players find it hard to shake off a passing mistake and their irritation with their error will show on their face and in their body language.

Go after that player with your jump float or standing float serve while they are still thinking about the previous play.


How to Float Serve in Volleyball
Identify The Difficult Court Zones Opposing Players Cant Pass Well From


Identify areas on the court that specific passers find tricky to pass from.

Pay attention to spots that make it difficult for the setters to set good sets to their hitters from.

Many times, coaches like myself, establish the volleyball serving strategies against an opposing team by telling you the servers where to serve.



However, there are times that I like to let the server choose where to serve, so if your coach doesn't "call or signal" you to serve a particular person or spot on the court use one of these strategies to spot potential targets.


            Volleyball Serving Drills My 10                   "Coach April Overhand Serve Volleyball Tips


How Self Talk and Mindset Effect How To Float Serve


Self talk can play a big part in how to float serve for points in volleyball.

What you tell yourself as you walk back to serve is important since you have an opportunity to score a point for your team by yourself.  

Its important to put yourself in the right mindset so you can aggressively and smartly attack the ball with your serve from behind the service line.  

Here are some suggestions and some reminders on some things you can tell yourself before serving in volleyball.


"I want a specific passer to mess up or shank the ball or if I can't force them to do that then at the very least I want my serve to force the opposing team to give our team an easy ball that we can defend or pass and run an attack against them.”



"I want to serve a ball that puts them in a difficult situation where I force one of the passers to have to move out of their comfortable passing position to pass my tough or well-placed serve."



”I don’t want to serve the opposing team a ball that’s easy for them to receive and run an attack off of."



Usually one, all or a version of these thoughts should pass through your mind during practices and then in your matches as you make your way back behind the service line to prep for your serve.


Do You Follow Me on Pinterest?

Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience.

These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis.

Sign up now!Private or semiprivate volleyball indoor/sand lessons are an excellent way for young Las Vegas high school volleyball players to quickly improve their individual skills through a private or semi-private coaching experience. These lessons are conducted by former pro volleyball player, former USA Volleyball High Performance instructor and Evaluator and Tstreet Vegas 18s head Coach April Chapple on a weekly basis. Sign up now!


Follow me on Pinterest Volleybragswag to improve your game even faster!

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 Float Serve in Volleyball: 6 Ace Scoring Tips And Strategies:
Where Do You Go From Here?


Your three options are: 

  1. You can learn more about Serving Strategies by visiting the related links below.                            
  2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
  3. 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. 
  4. 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.


You might like these pages on how to float serve!

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.

What Are You Looking For?

 

Hi there!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you learned something today that will help you reach your volleyball goals.

Be sure to subscribe to my email newsletter so you can learn more each week!

Stay strong! Stay motivated!

-Coach April

SUSCRIBE

to my email newsletter below!


Get Christmas volleyball shopping for your favorite beach/indoor player done early this year!
Click to Shop!



Recent Articles

  1. Improve Your Skills And Grow Your Game At Youth Volleyball Camps

    Mar 14, 24 10:43 AM

    april-chapple-selfie-brown-dress-3
    Explore youth volleyball camps that offer specialized training to elevate your skills, to meet your short and long term goals and stay focused all year round.

    Read More

  2. Starting Off Strong: Your How-To Guide To Beginner Volleyball Camps

    Mar 14, 24 01:00 AM

    april-chapple-selfie-brown-dress-3
    beginner volleyball camps

    Read More

  3. Navigating the World of Summer Volleyball Camps 2024: Find Your Camp!

    Mar 11, 24 11:10 PM

    volleyball camp creatiev commons
    Summer volleyball camps offer a diverse selection of exciting opportunities to all skill levels, positions and unique interests on campuses all over the country

    Read More

Meet Tatoo the Tiger, Serving Specialist on VolleyBragSwag's All Beast Team