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5 Tips On How To Unleash The Power Of Your Overhand Volleyball Serve

I reveal some of the secrets to perfecting your overhand volleyball serve, from proper form and serving rituals to various serve types and practice methods.

A tough overhand volleyball serve helps you control the game. Here are 4 ways, Face your target, Visualize yourself serving, Toss the same way every time, Serve like you spike (Richard Yuan)

If you're looking to take your volleyball game to the next level, learning to consistently perform a tough potentially ace-scoring overhand volleyball serve is essential to you getting playing time and staying on the court to play in the backrow.

In this article, I'll cover what you need to know about the overhand volleyball serve, from proper technique and serving routines to different types of serves and practice drills.

In this article, I'll cover what you need to know about the overhand volleyball serve, from proper technique and serving routines to different types of serves and practice drills. (Matt Duboff photo)

By the end of this article, you'll have the knowledge and tools to develop a powerful and consistent overhand serve that will help you score two or three points each time you step on the court to serve.

Anu with The Tough Overhand Volleyball Serve

How To Get The Overhand
Volleyball Serve Right

During my Breakfast Club for College Players summer training for college players in Vegas home for the summer we work on partner jump float serving technique where two servers at a time in two different lines serve behind Zone 1 and Zone 5 to a designated spot on the opposing court.

Pairs work together to get the ball "in" and if one player in the serving pair misses their serve neither of the two score a point for their team.

So no point for the two people serving and no point for the team they represent so the pressure feels like its double the weight.

The more we do this drill the more the server feels the weight of making their serve in.

To create a tough overhand serve that's hard for the opposing team's passers to control and pass, you have to have

a steady toss at a consistent height
a smooth arm swing
a consistent flat-hand "no bent wrist" contact on the middle panels of the ball
hips facing your target once you've contacted the ball strong follow-through.

Producing a consistently tough serve is all about having the right form and correct technique.

2017 Canada Summer Games, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Make sure you're stable and balanced in a staggered stance with left foot pointed towards where you want the ball to go and the back foot pointed slightly to the wall on your right and the weight of your body starting on your back leg.

After the toss, drive your hip followed by shoulder forward towards the ball with high elbow which helps you to create some power and momentum using your midsection and core of your body to hit the ball at the right height and in the right spot.

Katelyn with the Tough Jump Float Serve

To Get The Serve Right You Need To Get The Toss Right For A Killer Overhand Serve

The toss is like the secret ingredient to a great overhand serve.

If you can consistently toss the ball to the same spot every time, you're halfway there!

Tossing the ball high enough so you have time to get under it, but not so high that you lose control.

Aim for a toss that's just above your hitting shoulder. Once you've got that down, you can start working on adding some power and spin to your serve.

Brooklyn performs the jump float serve in volleyball during semi private training lessons.

Perfecting Your Arm Swing for Maximum Power

My College Breakfast Club training group working on jump float serve skills specifically hand to ball and toss consistency.

Your arm swing is what gives your overhand serve its oomph.

To get the most power, you want to start with your hitting arm back and your elbow bent.

As you swing forward, really use your shoulder and snap your wrist to whip that ball over the net.

Remember to keep your arm straight and follow through towards your target. With a little practice, you'll be serving up some serious heat in no time!

Nailing the Contact Point for Consistency

Where you contact the ball can make a big difference in how your overhand serve turns out. Too low, and the ball might not clear the net. Too high, and you'll lose some power and control and possibly hit the ball out. The sweet spot is usually just above your forehead, slightly in front of your hitting shoulder.

Where you contact the ball can make a big difference in how your overhand serve turns out.

Too low, and the ball might not clear the net. Too high, and you'll lose some power and control and possibly hit the ball out.

The sweet spot is usually just above your forehead, slightly in front of your hitting shoulder.

Focus on making contact with the ball at the same point every time, and you'll start to see more consistency in your serves.

Why Does A Regular Serving Routine Matter For Your Overhand Volleyball Serve?

Having a serving routine can really help you stay consistent and focused when you're doing your overhand serve.

It could be something like

bouncing the ball a certain number of times,
creating a bounce and catch pattern while standing in a specific way
breathing in a particular pattern
lining up with your back to the court and heels on the service line and walking back to where you'll start your serve while counting your three-step or four-step serve approach steps

When you have a routine, it helps you stay calm, confident and gives you a minute for some positive self talk.

Plus, it gets you into a rhythm, so your serves are more accurate and effective.

Build Your Self Confidence With A Serving Routine

When you have a solid serving routine, it can really boost your confidence on the court.

By doing the same thing every time you serve, you're giving yourself an opportunity to for self talk like "I've got this!" It's like a mental trick that helps you feel more in control, less nervous and to regain your focus on the ball.

And when you're feeling confident, you're more likely to serve the ball well and score some points for your team.

Are you a tough volleyball server? ⁠
⁠
As a tough volleyball server, your job is to be comfortable serving anywhere and anyone from behind the service line with pace and precision in order to score points.⁠

When you do your volleyball drills for serving practice you want to do tons of reps to every single one of the six positions on the court.⁠
⁠
You want to be able to hit those targets from anywhere behind the service line. ⁠
⁠

Targets to aim for⁠ during your volleyball drills for serving:

⁠
-serve seams⁠
-serves the sidelines⁠
serve outside hitters deep in the court⁠

Some players think that being a tough volleyball server means you need to really be sneaky and try and fake out the serve receive by not showing where you are going to serve.⁠
⁠
On the contrary I say...let everybody know where you are going to serve.⁠
⁠
Face Your Target.⁠

Having a consistent serving routine is key to nailing your overhand serves every time.

Start by finding a routine that works for you, whether it's bouncing the ball a certain number of times, taking a deep breath, or visualizing your serve.

Then, practice that routine over and over until it becomes second nature. The more consistent your routine is, the more consistent your serves will be.

Using Your Serving Routine to Stay Focused

All my clients are very very strong servers because we spend alot of time working on how to score points from the end line so serving technique is one of my priorities.

It's important to stay focused on the ball because its easy to get distracted during a volleyball game, especially when you're up to serve.

There's a lot of noise, people cheering for you and against you, in addition to dealing with the pressure to perform and the pressure to win.

That's where your serving routine comes into play.

By focusing on each step of your serving ritual and routine, you can block out all those distractions and stay zeroed in on what you need to do to make a strategically tough serve.

Whether it's taking a deep breath, bouncing the ball a certain way, or visualizing your serve while counting your steps needed for your serve approach, your routine helps you maintain that laser-like focus you need to nail your overhand serve.

To Sum Things Up

Mastering the overhand volleyball serve takes time, practice, and dedication, but it's a skill that can really take your game to the next level.

By focusing on proper technique, developing a consistent serving routine, and practicing different types of serves under pressure, you'll be well on your way to becoming a serving powerhouse on the court.

Remember, a tough serve can be a game-changer, so keep working at it and don't get discouraged.

With the tips and techniques covered in this article, you've got everything you need to start serving up aces and dominating the competition.

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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!

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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.

The Overhand Volleyball Serve
Where Do You Go From Here?

Where do you need to go now? Here are two options:

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Serving slang is not just about individual techniques; it also relates to overall game strategy. A coach might instruct a player to serve a "short serve" or a "deep serve" to target specific areas of the opponent's court or exploit weaknesses in their serve receive formation.

Ari, my private training client and I are working specifically on serving on jump float cross court serves ...short to Zone 2

There's so much we work on to get to this point where she can contact the ball with

the same toss height and same toss location
the same armswing speed
the same timing for when her serving hand contacts the ball
the middle of the hand contacting the middle of the ball every single time
getting use to watching her serving hand contact the ball at the highest point of her jump ...before she starts to land
and finally contacting the ball in the precise spot on the ball so it goes where the coach wants the player to put it so in this case ..a short serve in the farthest short right corner on the court also called Zone 2.

kamiminerpac12setteroftheyearformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

Tommi Stockham All Big West Conference sophomore former Coach April Chapple private client 3 years

katepriorallwestcoastconferencebyufreshmanformercoachaprilchappleprivateclient3years

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Dear Vegas Parent

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