Register TODAY! for my
Coach April's
May 16 -17 and 30 -31

Spiking and Hitting clinics

COACH APRIL’S MAY
HITTING CLINICS
AT ITS ALL VOLLEYBALL

For serious players ages 11–17 who want to improve:
- approach footwork
- hitting mechanics
- power
- ball placement
- attacking confidence

Perfect for:
NYS players
newer club players
club travel players who need more focused hitting work

DATES
May 2–3
May 16–17
May 30–31

TIMES
10am–11am ages 11–13
11am–12pm ages 13–15
12pm–1pm ages 15–16
1pm–2pm ages 16–17

$40 one session
$80 two sessions
$120 three sessions

Email info@improveyourvolley.com
to register today
COACH APRIL’S MAY
HITTING CLINICS
AT ITS ALL VOLLEYBALL

For serious players ages 11–17 who want to improve:
- approach footwork
- hitting mechanics
- power
- ball placement
- attacking confidence

Perfect for:
NYS players
newer club players
club travel players who need more focused hitting work

DATES
May 2–3
May 16–17
May 30–31

TIMES
10am–11am ages 11–13
11am–12pm ages 13–15
12pm–1pm ages 15–16
1pm–2pm ages 16–17

$40 one session
$80 two sessions
$120 three sessions

Email info@improveyourvolley.com
to register today
COACH APRIL’S MAY
HITTING CLINICS
AT ITS ALL VOLLEYBALL

For serious players ages 11–17 who want to improve:
- approach footwork
- hitting mechanics
- power
- ball placement
- attacking confidence

Perfect for:
NYS players
newer club players
club travel players who need more focused hitting work

DATES
May 2–3
May 16–17
May 30–31

TIMES
10am–11am ages 11–13
11am–12pm ages 13–15
12pm–1pm ages 15–16
1pm–2pm ages 16–17

$40 one session
$80 two sessions
$120 three sessions

Email info@improveyourvolley.com
to register today
COACH APRIL’S MAY
HITTING CLINICS
AT ITS ALL VOLLEYBALL

For serious players ages 11–17 who want to improve:
- approach footwork
- hitting mechanics
- power
- ball placement
- attacking confidence

Perfect for:
NYS players
newer club players
club travel players who need more focused hitting work

DATES
May 2–3
May 16–17
May 30–31

TIMES
10am–11am ages 11–13
11am–12pm ages 13–15
12pm–1pm ages 15–16
1pm–2pm ages 16–17

$40 one session
$80 two sessions
$120 three sessions

Email info@improveyourvolley.com
to register today

Email: info@improveyourvolley.com for info or to register for this weekend's clinics! 


How to Serve A Floater Known As The Standing Float Serve in Volleyball 

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.


Here's a step by step float serve tutorial on how to get the ball to your intended target on the opposing team's court. 


How To Serve a Floater
The Set Up


As a right handed server,

  • line your body up to face your serving target

Your body will be parallel to the service line.

Whether you're serving to a court zone or directly to an opposing player...face your target. Let the player know...you're coming right at them with your serve.


Volleyball Serving Drills with Coach April: Watch how to serve a floater that lands close to or near the corners of the ten foot line in a timed drill that we do in Boot Camp classes. 


How To Serve a Floater: 
Know Where You're Going To Serve


The key is to know where you are going to serve before you serve, then turn and point your toe and your tossing arm, straight at your serving target. 


How to Serve A Floater 
Your Serving Arm Ready Position

Right Handed Serving Arm

  • Raise your serving arm so its in a 90 degree angle with a bent elbow and open palmed hand, above the level of your right ear. 




How To Serve a Floater
Keep your Elbow High


Keep your elbow high, above the level of your ear, throughout the entire movement of bringing your arm forward to the ball.


Attention to detail. Consistency. Focus-Driven Work. 🏐

These are the processes that we preach to our SQUAD every practice.

We believe in quality of repetition over quantity.

We teach our athletes to be disciplined and process oriented.

Because it’s the little things that set apart the average from the great.

If you can’t win the serve you can’t win the point.

While there is a time that we work on tops spins and developing power to drill down our opponent in our serves, we also emphasize with our boys that the most dangerous weapon is consistency.

Master the basics first. Only then will you open the door to new tools and possibilities.


Many servers have problems serving over the net because they drop their elbow during their serving swing in an attempt to shot put the ball over the net 

Keep your elbow above the level of your ear!





How To Serve a Floater 
The Palm of Your Serving Arm Should Face The Opposite Wall



The Float Serve Starting Ready Position

When done correctly your starting arm position should look like the letter L.

For right handers the left hand is extended straight out in front with the ball resting          in the palm of your left hand.

The right arm is straight up with elbow close to ear and palm of your hand facing the opposite wall.  


How To Serve a Floater 
Feet Are Shaped Like an L with
Weight On Back Leg


Feet and Leg Positioning

Feet and legs are in a comfortable balanced position, shoulder width apart with the weight of your body on your back leg. 

Your front toe should point to the target or location you're about to serve.



Watch as semi private training client Brooklyn demonstrates hand position for the jump float serve...

  • her hand is kept as flat as a ping pong paddle
  • the middle of her hand contacts the middle of the ball
  • her elbow remains high, above the level of her ear, from start to finish of her approach



How To Serve a Floater 
Start and Finish in a Balanced Body Position


The key is to make sure your body isn't tilted or leaning to one side.

Be balanced!

When you turn your hips and shoulder to contact the ball there's no need to add additional steps, or bounces, dips or wind ups.

Your feet should stay in their starting position and only move slightly during the quarter turn to shift your body weight from your back foot to your front foot with just a tiny step in place, taken in the direction of your target. 


How To Serve a Floater 
The Toss


Click to Download Your Consistent Toss Mastery Checklist pdf:

🎯Consistent Toss Mastery Guide - $7

Are inconsistent tosses sabotaging your serves and forcing you to chase the ball? Why fight your toss when you could master the foundation of every great serve?



The key is to keep your toss so consistent, that if you toss the ball ten times  in a row and let it fall to the ground, it goes up the same height and comes down in the same spot every single time.
The key is to keep your toss so consistent, that if you toss the ball ten times  in a row and let it fall to the ground, it goes up the same height and comes down in the same spot every single time.

The key is to keep your toss so consistent, that if you toss the ball ten times  in a row and let it fall to the ground, it goes up the same height and comes down in the same spot every single time.


The Toss

The key is to keep your toss so consistent, that if you toss the ball ten times  in a row and let it fall to the ground, it goes up the same height and comes down in the same spot every single time.

2-3 feet in the air gives your serving arm, time to keep your elbow high during your serving swing motion.

You have time to get the open palmed hand to the ball without dropping the elbow, or bending your wrist, or adding funky shoulder movement that doesn't help you serve.  


Click to Download Your Pre Serving Ritual Mastery Checklist pdf:

🎯Volleyball Pre Serving Ritual Guide - $7

Transform Your Serve from Weak to Weapon

Stop letting pressure situations destroy your serves?


You'll Get

  • ✓3-bounce physical preparation setup system
  • ✓Mental routine for target pre-selection and visualization
  • ✓Technical execution checklist for automatic consistency
  • ✓Proven tips for bulletproof toss consistency
  • ✓Pressure-proof strategies that eliminate serving errors

Click to Download Your Consistent Toss Mastery Checklist pdf:

🎯Consistent Toss Mastery Guide - $7

Are inconsistent tosses sabotaging your serves and forcing you to chase the ball? Why fight your toss when you could master the foundation of every great serve?



Click to Download Your Parent's Volleyball Serving Guide Help Your Player Develop Championship Serves (Even If You've Never Played) Checklist pdf:

🎯Parent's Volleyball Serving Guide Help Your Player Develop Championship Serves Guide - $7


You'll Get: 

✓Learn exactly what to look for in your player's serving form so you can provide meaningful feedback.

✓Discover how to provide encouragement that actually improves performance and mental toughness.

✓Know exactly what to ask coaches to show you're engaged and help your player develop properly.

✓Simple, effective drills that don't require a gym or expensive equipment.

✓Understand the language coaches use so you can better support your player's development.

✓Help your player develop the psychological aspects of serving that many coaches don't have time to address.


Contact the Ball - Hip Swivel and High Five Hand Turn at the Same Time

After you toss the ball, you swivel your left hip making a quarter turn forward towards the net, at the same time you bring your right arm forward, keeping your elbow high above the level of your ear.
Contact the Ball - Hip Swivel and High Five Hand Turn at the Same Time

After you toss the ball, you swivel your left hip making a quarter turn forward towards the net, at the same time you bring your right arm forward, keeping your elbow high above the level of your ear.
Contact the Ball - Hip Swivel and High Five Hand Turn at the Same Time

After you toss the ball, you swivel your left hip making a quarter turn forward towards the net, at the same time you bring your right arm forward, keeping your elbow high above the level of your ear.

When  you look at my players you'll see (or should see) that all of them have the same serving form and technique. We work hard on -


How To Serve a Floater
Contacting The Ball


Contact the Ball - Hip Swivel and High Five Hand Turn at the Same Time

  • After you toss the ball, you swivel your left hip making a quarter turn forward towards the net, at the same time you bring your right arm forward, keeping your elbow high above the level of your ear.

How To Serve a Floater  
Creating the "Float Effect"


The key is to swivel the hip and and shoulder together bringing the serving hand forward at the same time to contact the middle panels of the ball.

Many players have problems when they swivel the hip first and forget to bring the hand forward at the same time, or they drop their elbow when they swivel the hip. 

Your hip comes forward at the same time the shoulder does which also brings the hand forward, while keeping the elbow above the level of the ear.


How To Serve a Floater 
High Five The Ball When Making Contact


Contact the Ball - High Five the Ball

The key is to keep a very wide fingered, flat palmed hand and make contact with the ball with the middle of your hand, without bending your wrist.

Do exactly what you'd do if you were 'high fiving' a teammate.


Looking to fine tune your top spins and dominate on the court? 🏐

Group Training Classes with Coach April is EVERY MONDAY in October.

Join Coach April for focused, small-group training to help you fine tune the little things you have been struggling with.

Details:
🗓️ Mondays: Oct 6, 13, 20 & 27
⏰ 5:00 - 6:00 PM
📍Las Vegas Basketball Center

➡️ Register at SQUADVBC.COM
(login to your SQUAD account first)

📧 Email us at info@thesquadvolleyballclub.com for any questions you may have!


Reach "high five"  high and keep your hand "high five" flat.

The ball will float and dip and be very difficult for a passer to track and pass the ball because of your ability to contact the ball with no follow through, no spin and with a flat palmed, wide fingered "high five" contact.



How To Serve a Floater 
     Watch Your Hand When Contacting The Ball



Contact the Ball - Watch the Ball

  • Watch your hand contact the middle of the ball

In the picture above my 18s Vegas Volley boys players Noah and Calvin both have their eyes on the ball as they serve, watching where their hand is contacting the ball during their float serve contact technique. 

Now, you should be ready to score aces now that your know how to serve a floater!


Ready to Conquer Your Serving Skills Completely?



This article covered a number of tips for how to serve a floater, but if you want a complete systematic approach to serving excellence, check out:

🎯 FREE: 5 Essential Serving Tips Checklist

Perfect for beginners learning proper technique:

  • Perfect stance positioning                
  • The "Two Up, One Forward" toss        formula  
  • Mental approach techniques      
  • Plus 2 more essential tips



🏆 COMPLETE SYSTEM: 9 Serving Checklists 

Ready to go from beginner to elite server?

Get the complete system:

  • 180+ detailed checkpoints                      Foundation → Development
  • Advanced progression 
  • Jump float serve mastery               
  • Tactical serving strategies                        
  • Ace-scoring systems


📚 MORE SERVING RESOURCES:

Explore all my serving articles:

Read the Essential Serving Tips guide

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


You might like
these serving pages!


If your athlete struggles with consistent serve receive, gets subbed out, or is overlooked for playing time—this is the fix you’ve been looking for.

Ebook_How_to_Clean_Up_Your_Passing_and_Get_More_-linkedin-profile-cover-1.jpeg

Struggling with passing consistency?

I help talented passers tired of getting pulled from games because of inconsistent serve receive skills  BUILD passing confidence without expensive private lessons using the same 3-step system that's helped dozens of my athletes get recruited.

Download my eBook for $17.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the court—and gets you seen by college coaches.

AUTHOR BIO

April Chapple is an elite private volleyball trainer, former USA National Team member, and University of Tennessee Hall of Fame inductee who has coached in Las Vegas for 15+ years, training hundreds of athletes and helping numerous players reach college volleyball, including Division I standouts.

She's also the head coach for girls and boys 18s at Squad VBC and offers coaches consulting on technical teaching and player development. Connect with April on LinkedIn or at ImproveYourVolley.com, where her eye for overlooked talent sets her apart.


From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Produces Powerful Passionate Players...is that you?

What Are You Looking For?

Click to Download Your Pre Serving Ritual Mastery Checklist pdf:

🎯Volleyball Pre Serving Ritual Guide -

Players! Learn How To Transform Your Serve from Weak to Weapon

Click to Download Your Parent's Volleyball Serving Checklist pdf

🎯Parent's Volleyball Serving Checklist Guide

Parents! Help Your Player Develop Championship Serves (Even If You've Never Played)


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!

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Congratulations to my seven Boys-18s Vegas Volley club players who played in two state championship finals yesterday, the 3A and 5A State champinship finals at Sunrise Mountain High School.

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!
In It To Win It Tournament,
May 2-4, 2025 Tournament
A-1 Vegas Volleyball Club 
Gold Medalists, 18s Premier Division

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!

A-1 Vegas Volley VBC

    In It To Win It      Tournament   

May 2 - 4, 2025 Tournament

Gold Medalists

18s Premier Division



Vegas Volleyball's Unsung Heroes: Celebrating Moms with Peace Love Volleyball Shirts


Ready to energize your volleyball mom journey?

Subscribe to my 'Producing Powerful Passionate Peaceful Players' email list above on ImproveYourVolley.com.

You'll receive energy-boosting tips, exclusive insights from me,        Coach April Chapple on maintaining momentum in volleyball.

Let's power up the Vegas volleyball scene together!


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