11 Ways To Elevate Your Serve Receive Game A Tutorial For All Passers

Here are 11 serve receive tips liberos, defensive specialists and back court passers can use to improve their passing and heighten the efficiency of their overall team's offense.

Neutralizing your opponent's service game with accurate serve receive and passing skills is an important key to the success of your team's offensive game. (photo Marks KC Shaikes)

In my article "11 Ways to Sharpen Your Serve Receive Game" which made me a contributing author to the Active.com site I'm coaching volleyball passing skills to players who want to learn how to improve their passing while in serve receive. I reprinted it here so you can read it on this site.

Here are 11 tips liberos, defensive specialists and back court passers can use to improve their serve reception and heighten the efficiency of their overall team's offense.

Neutralizing your opponent's service game is key to success on the volleyball court.

Serve Receive Tip No.1: Spread Your Wings

Keep both arms together when passing the ball. Keeping them together instead of breaking them apart and passing with one arm helps guide the ball better to the target. (Mark Shaken photo)

Run with your arms apart to get in position. You'll move faster. You want to be stopped before you pass the ball to avoid running and bumping simultaneously. You are not controlling the ball when you run and bump together, and it usually goes right back over the net.

Serve Receive Tip No.2: Center Yourself

Present your platform after you've stopped running. Your feet need to be in a balanced position first.

Serve Receive Tip No.3: Focus

Focus on the ball in the opposing server's hand, not on the server's face. It's the ball you need to pass. Focus on it as soon as the server gets it in her hands to serve.

Serve Receive Tip No.4: Eyes On The Ball

Keep your eyes on the ball as it comes across the net. Taking your eyes off the ball as it travels over the middle of the court increases the chances of getting aced. (Jon Fravel photo)

Keep your eyes on the ball as it comes across the net. Taking your eyes off the ball as it travels over the middle of the court increases the chances of getting aced. You may also be unable to make minor adjustments to your feet to accurately pass the ball to your target.

Serve Receive Tip No.5: Anticipate

Anticipate where you need to be. Get there BEFORE you start passing the ball. By focusing early on the ball while it's in the server's hands you get an early indication on whether she is going to serve short, cross court, or down the line.

Serve Receive Tip No.6: Keep Track

Keep your eyes on the ball. Visually track it as it leaves the server's hand, crosses the net, and all the way into your platform. Many passers get distracted, taking their eyes off the ball or tracking it once it crosses the net, which is late. Focusing on the ball early lets you anticipate necessary minor adjustments in your platform or with your feet.

Serve-Receive Tip No.7: Be a Square

Square your shoulders to the target before contacting the ball. You won't have any more arm adjusting once you make contact with the ball.

Keep your eyes on the ball. Visually track it as it leaves the server's hand, crosses the net, and all the way into your platform. (Fossil Mike)

Serve-Receive Tip No.8: Stay Flexible

Shift your body weight from your back (left) foot to your front (right) foot when contacting the ball. Do this when you need to add a little more barbecue sauce to the ball to get it to the target without swinging your platform.

Serve-Receive Tip No.9: Feet on the Floor

Pass with both feet on the volleyball court floor rather than doing the "jump-bump." You can make small adjustments with your feet on the ground which you can't do with your feet in the air.

In serve receive, pass with both feet on the court floor rather than doing the "jump-bump." You can make small adjustments with your feet on the ground which you can't do with your feet in the air.

Serve-Receive Tip No.10: Be Fundamentally Sound

Maintain good passing technique especially with the easy serves. You've taught your body the proper serve-receive positioning and will automatically react with the correct technique no matter how hard or fast the serve is.

Serve Receive Tip No.11: Speed Up

Work on foot speed and agility drills. You'll be able to get behind each ball quickly with your feet first by increasing your short-distance speed, giving yourself plenty of time to present your platform and make the perfect pass.

Do You Follow Me on Instagram?

Follow me on Instagram @coach_apchap 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 Play Volleyball: Where Do You Go From Here?

What do you need to do now? You have three options:

Learn more about volleyball offense, attacking and serve receive in 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 Mr Resee the Kangaroo, wearing the #11 jersey below. He's another defensive specialist and team captain for the VolleyBragSwag All Beast team.

Meet Resee the Kangaroo and Passing Specialist on
VolleyBragSwag's All Beast Team

Explore My Volleyball Player's Guide To Passing in the articles below.

The Volleyball Bump Why Players Shouldn't Run and Bump Simultaneously

A good volleyball bump tip for beginner high school players learning how to pass a ball is to avoid running and bumping at the same time in serve receive.
Ten Steps On How To Bump A Volleyball To Maximize Your Serve Receive

Learn how to bump a volleyball so that you get the ball to your setter consistently by moving quickly to where you anticipate where the ball will be.
Bump A Volleyball Better Track It Early When Its In The Server's Hands

Some of your passing problems happen when you bump a volleyball because you watch the ball when its on your side instead of when it's in the server hands.
A Volleyball Passing Tutorial On Developing Good Serve Receive Skills

Developing great volleyball passing skills is crucial for you because passing is the way to contact the ball with your forearms to guide it to your setter.
A Volleyball Passing Tutorial: Three Ways To Hold Your Hands To Pass

Learn three ways from easy to complex to hold your hands together before you pass a volleyball to your intended target.