Types of Volleyball Serves What's A Float, Jump Float, Spin, Jump Spin
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.
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.
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 $7.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the court—and gets you seen by college coaches.
There are four types of overhand volleyball serves most commonly used in advanced competition like varsity high school games, college games, beach tournaments and national and international matches.
- overhand serve - standing float serve
- overhand serve - top spin serve
- overhand jump float serve
- overhand jump spin serve
The Overhand Standing Float Serve
Types of Volleyball Serves What's A Float, Jump Float, Spin, Jump Spin: The overhand serve in volleyball requires you to toss the ball higher in the air before contacting it with an open hand above your head. (John O'Brien)The Overhand Standing Float Serve
The overhand standing float serve in volleyball requires
- you to toss the ball higher in the air with your tossing arm - for right handers this is your left arm before
- contacting it with an open hand above your head, like a tennis player uses a racket to contact the ball above their head.
Types of Volleyball Serves What's A Float, Jump Float, Spin, Jump Spin:
How To Overhand Float Serve in Volleyball
How To Overhand Float Serve in Volleyball
The standing floater serve is the most popular of all overhand serves and it requires
- a consistent toss with your non dominant hand
- a quick rotation of the hips followed by the upper body
- as a flat-handed wide-fingered very stiff wrist contact on the ball is made with your dominant hand which should be shaped like a ping pong paddle
- the top half of the palm of your hand should make contact with the middle panels of the ball while
- keeping your elbow above the level of your ear.
The two important ways to make a float serve float in volleyball is
- keeping a flat hand and stiff wrist upon contact with the ball and
- watching your hand contact the ball
Once you toss the ball in the air your eyes should be focused only on where your hand contacts the ball.
Friday night boot campers practice their overhand serving arm motion at Friday Night Boot Camp class.
Four Types of Overhand Volleyball Serves
The Top Spin Serve
The Topspin Volleyball Serve
The standing topspin serve requires a high toss, a high reach and quick armswing of the dominant arm with the hand contacting the top third of the ball, very similar to the spike contact.
Contacting the top third of the ball creates the forward motion which launches the ball with alot of spin, pace and speed from your service line to the opposing court.
This high paced fast traveling serve is used to make it extremely difficult for the passers to receive the serve and get it to the target.
Four Types of Volleyball Serves
The Jump Serve
The Overhand Jump Serve
The jump serve has two versions of the overhand serve, the jump float and jump topspin serve.
Types of Volleyball Serves What's A Float, Jump Float, Spin, Jump Spin:
How To Overhand Jump Serve
Basically before serving you
- Back up 4 - 5 feet behind the service line and once the referee blows the whistle
- you toss the ball up 8-10 feet in the air and once it reaches its highest height
- you take a three-step spike approach before
- contacting the top third of the ball above your head with open hand and strong fingers that guide the ball to your target
Right handed players will place the ball in their left hand so they can toss it in the air, then step towards it, as they then contact the ball with an
- overhand
- underhand
- sidearm
- jump serve swing action.
The ball is contacted with your dominant hand or any part of your arm with the intent of creating enough force to send the ball over the net and inside the opposing team's court.
Left handers do the opposite.
How you contact the ball overhand, to send it over the net, depends on the type of volleyball serve you decide to use.
This has been an important message by your favorite volleyball coach! That's me!!
Thanks for visiting.
Be sure to check out more of my volleyball articles by clicking one of the links below! (April Chapple)
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!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.
Types of Volleyball Serves What's A Float, Jump Float, Spin, Jump Spin
Where Do You Go From Here?
Your three options are:
- You can learn more about Serving Techniques by visiting 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 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.
Meet Tatoo the Tiger, Serving Specialist on VolleyBragSwag's All Beast Team
You might like these volleyball techniques on the pages below.
Volleyball Passing Fundamentals An 8 Step Review of Basic Pass Skills
These volleyball passing fundamentals review in 8 easy to understand steps the basic technical skills needed to pass a ball correctly to the intended target.
Passing in Volleyball Learn This 8 Step Volleyball Passing Tutorial
This quick 8 step tutorial on passing in volleyball teaches you correctly what to do and how to pass the ball before during and after the opposing team serve.
The Proper Volleyball Serve Technique, What Types of Serves Are Best?
What's the most proper volleyball serve technique to know? Learn the five serve types and terms for the let serve, sky ball, the overhand and underhand serve.
Volleyball Pass Techniques: Watch The Ball Before It Crosses The Net
You can get better at your volleyball pass technique by tracking the ball earlier when its in the opposing server's hands then track it as it crosses the net.
Steps to Passing a Volleyball: 5 Essential Techniques for Success
Want to pass like a pro? Learn the 5 essential steps to passing a volleyball with perfect technique, and learn home passing drills and common mistakes to avoid.
Seven Blocking Techniques in Volleyball Used In Defense At The Net
Some important blocking techniques in volleyball are sealing the net, stuff block, read blocking, cross court block, swing block, commit block, delayed block.
How to Use Good Volleyball Service Techniques To Serve for Points
Learn what good volleyball service techniques in volleyball will help you score points and increase the aces you score during a game after the ref whistles.
Step-by-step Instructions On Performing The Volleyball Dig Technique
Master the volleyball dig technique with my comprehensive guide. Learn step-by-step instructions, tips, and common mistakes to avoid for great defensive plays
Volleyball Hands 2 Ways To Hold Your Hands When You Pass A Volleyball
Learn 2 volleyball passing techniques on where to make contact with the ball on your arms and how to hold your volleyball hands while passing or bumping the ball.
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.
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 $7.99 and start building the passing confidence that keeps you on the court—and gets you seen by college coaches.
From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Honored At UTK Champions Weekend
Lady Vol volleyball legend and record holder Coach April Chapple a University of Tennessee, Knoxville Hall of Fame Inductee, 3-time All American, 3-time SEC Champion, SEC Tournament MVP, 2-time All SEC Team is celebrated with her 1984 SEC champion teammates at Neyland Stadium during Champions Weekend on November 1-2, 2024.
- the first First Round Draft Pick for the first American pro indoor women's league
- named to the first First Team All-Pro team for Major League Volleyball in USA volleyball history
- former USA National team member
- one of the few American women players named as an Italian Pro League D-I Championship Finalist, Italian Cup Finalist and Cup of Cups Tournament Finalist
April Chapple The first First round Draft Pick For Major League Volleyball the first American Women's Pro League Honored At Athlete Unlimited Pro Volleyball Match
Coach April's 2025 Private and Semi private Volleyball Training
Pre-Registration now open for 2025 Private and Semiprivate Training Sessions with Coach April . Get prepared for club tryouts or train with me during club season!
Email now for information on semiprivate or private indoor skills, individual or small group training volleyball classes and my Breakfast Club for College Players training for 2025.
Invest in your improvement while preepping for your next level and college goals while working hard and training smart.
Email me right now to register or for more information.
info@improveyourvolley.com
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.
I have my own special QR code to my Linktree profile!
Scan to find out what you shouldn't be missing!
Affiliate Disclosure
If you make a purchase through a link on my site, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
I only recommend products that I believe to have good value. Click to read my
|
|
Donations Welcome!
If my free social media online training and/or instruction on this site has helped improve your game or meet your goals CLICK the Cash App link below to make a donation!
Thank you!
Read my open letter to Las Vegas Jr high/high school volleyball parents about my predictions on individual and small group volleyball training trends for 2019/2021
From Lady Vol to Legend: Coach April Produces Powerful Passionate Players...is that you?
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!
A-1 Vegas Volley VBC
In It To Win It Tournament
May 2 - 4, 2025 Tournament
Gold Medalists
18s Premier Division
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 DivisionWhat 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!
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!
Recent Articles
-
The Volleyball Setter Position
Aug 24, 25 10:37 AM
Get my expert answers about the volleyball setter position so that you learn my positioning tips, game strategies, and solutions to common setting challenges. -
Peace Love and Volleyball: Vegas Moms: Real MVPs Behind Every Player
Aug 23, 25 10:39 PM
Discover how Coach April's Peace Love and Volleyball revolution honors Vegas volleyball moms, unsung heroes transforming local volleyball one player at a time. -
Volleyball Setter Training: Techniques to Improve Your Setting Skills
Aug 23, 25 10:35 PM
This volleyball setter training reviews step-by-step each body part and what it does so you learn how to correct your mistakes and improve your setting skills.
