Learning how to improve volleyball serve skills is crucial when it comes to controlling the game.
Mastering different types of serves- float, spin, and jump can significantly improve your game.
Here's a comprehensive, step-by-step tutorial for each serving style, accompanied by common mistakes to watch out for.
Whether one of the types of volleyballs serves you use is a
...on these pages I tell you about are focused only on how to improve volleyball serve skills, you'll find everything you need to know on Improve Your Volley.com.
What is serving in volleyball?
The serve starts each rally and is the first opportunity to score a point. Learn to float serve, underhand, top spin and more.
A Common Mistake With The Float Serve
Not hitting the ball cleanly in the center of the middle panels of the ball.
This can cause unintended spin, ruining the floating effect.
Step 1:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with the ball in your left hand (or right hand if you're left-handed).
Step 2:
Extend the arm holding the ball out in front of you, while pulling the other arm back behind your ear, ready to swing.
Step 3:
As you swing your arm forward, step forward with the opposite foot, transferring your weight onto it.
The floater serve, when practiced and done correctly, is used by top high school, collegiate, pro indoor and beach volleyball players to score points consistently.
The floater is popular because if contacted in the right spot, the ball will dip, float and move as it travels across the net.
Once across, it will just drop straight down making it difficult for a passer to pass it to their target. In my playing career, I've used all types of serves to score points from the service line both in indoor competition and on the beach.
Step 4:
Contact the middle of the ball firmly with the upper middle of your palm, using a flat hand contact which keeps the spin out of the ball. This lack of spin is what gives the serve its floating, unpredictable path.
A Common Mistake With The Float Serve
Not hitting the ball cleanly in the center of the middle panels of the ball.
This can cause unintended spin, ruining the floating effect.
Step 1: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and the ball in your non-dominant hand.
Step 2: Throw the ball up into the air, shifting your weight to your back foot.
Step 3: As the ball begins to drop, swing your arm forward, stepping with your opposite foot.
Step 4:
Contact the ball with a whipping motion, aiming to hit it on your hand's side to achieve spin.
A Common Mistake With The Spin Serve
Hitting the ball straight on rather than on the side, which prevents the side spin and makes the serve easier for opponents to anticipate.
Step 1: Start by tossing the ball high into the air, a little bit in front of you.
Step 2: Take a three step approach, exactly the way you would for a spike, but with a straight on approach towards the service line.
Step 3: Jump into the air after completing your "step close" step with both feet, raising one arm to contact the ball at the highest point possible
Step 4: Hit the ball as you would with a spike, aiming for a particular area of the court.
A Common Mistake With The Jump Serve
Approaching the serve with a rounded run-up rather than straight or not throwing the ball far enough ahead, causing either a loss of power or directional control.
What's an ace in volleyball? Learn what are the basic rules dictating how a point can be scored from the service line by using your float serve or jump serve.
To control the game with a tough overhand volleyball serve face your target, visualize yourself serving, toss the same way every time, and serve like you spike with an aggressive focused flat hand contact on the ball.
What're the types of volleyball serves like the standing float serve, the jump float where you add spike approach footwork and the topspin and jump spin serves.
How many volleyball serve techniques are there?
Topspin, missile, coach kill, friendly fire and husband and wife play are serving terms used for advanced types of volleyball serves used by varsity players.
There are four types of serves in volleyball varsity players learn. Beginners learn the underhand serve first, then the overhand serve, then topspin and jump serve.
The volleyball jump serve comes in two forms, the jump float serve and the jump topspin, both done by contacting the ball in the air behind the service line.
Learn how to serve a floater, also called a standing float serve that's hard for the opposing team to pass because of how the ball floats while crossing the net.
Use your beach volleyball serve like the topspin, float, jump float and sky ball to score points by serving the ball where there are open spaces on the court.
Discover which volleyball court zones like Position 3 and Position 6 to serve to in order to use strategy to score more points and aces from the service line.
When serving in volleyball there are two places where you can serve to on the opposing team's court to increase the chance of scoring points with your serve.
With this step by step tutorial I teach beginner players how to serve a volleyball because having a tough overhand serve may increase your playing time.
Many players don't realize it, but the toss for the float serve in volleyball is where many serving errors begin.
Remember, mastering these serves takes time and consistent practice. So don't get discouraged if you don't get it right away.
Keep refining your techniques, and soon, you'll see a significant improvement in your serves.
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.
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