How to Serve a Volleyball? A Comprehensive Guide
Many beginners are asking me how to serve a volleyball like professionals do. Serving a volleyball is one of the most essential skills in the game, as it is the first contact that initiates the rally. A good serve can pressure the opponent and set the tone for the rally. However, serving is not as easy as it may look. It requires proper technique, accuracy, power, and consistency. This article will cover the basics of five types of serves: underhand, overhand, jump, and float. I will also include tips and drills to help you improve each specific serve.
How to Serve a Volleyball Underhand
The underhand serve is the simplest and most common type among juniors and beginners. It is performed by holding the ball in one hand and swinging the other arm in a pendulum motion to hit the ball with a closed fist or palm heel. The underhand serve sends the ball over the net with a low trajectory and minimal spin and speed. Let’s go through the steps to perform an underhand serve:
- Stand behind the baseline and hold the ball in your non-dominant hand, with your other hand at your side.
- Place your non-dominant foot in front of the other and stay staggered in an up-and-back position. You should be able to rock back and forth in this position without fear of falling over, as it is the most stable.
- Lean your upper body and shoulders slightly forward, and always keep your eyes on the ball.
- Toss the ball slightly in front of you, a few cm high, and swing your dominant arm in a pendulum motion to hit the ball.
- Aim to hit the ball below the center to propel it upwards and over the net. Drop the hand holding the ball just before making contact with your swing.
- Follow through with your swing and shift your weight forward from your rear foot to your front foot in time with your swing.
Some tips to improve your underhand serve are:
- Don’t grip the ball too firmly, but rather let it rest on your palm using a gentle grip with your fingers to keep it from falling.
- Don’t wind your arm up too far before the swing; bring it back the same distance you must swing forward.
- Don’t stop your arm from moving immediately upon hitting the ball, but allow it to propel forward to give your hit more power.
- Practice your serve by repeating these steps and adjusting your power, angle, and spin.
How to serve a volleyball Overhand
The overhand serve is a more advanced and powerful type of serve, as it is performed by throwing the ball in the air and hitting it with an open hand over the head. The overhand serve can send the ball over the net faster than underhand, making it harder to receive. Furthermore, the pillar must learn proper float or jump spin serve. Here are some steps to perform an overhand serve:
- Stand behind the baseline and hold the ball in your dominant hand, with your other hand pointing to the ball.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your non-dominant foot leading. Have your feet and body face directly where you plan to serve the ball. This will line up your body, giving you the most power in your serve.
- Bend your knees slightly and raise the ball with an extended arm on the height of your chest. Keep your elbow high and your wrist relaxed.
- Toss the ball slightly in front of you and take a small step forward with your dominant foot to get more momentum. With the non-hitting hand point toward the ball as it is your target!
- Swing your arm forward and hit the ball with the palm of your hand, snapping your wrist at the moment of contact. You should hit the ball at the highest reach point!
- Follow through with your arm and body, and shift your weight from your back to your front foot to increase the power of the serve.
Some tips to improve your overhand serve are:
- Don’t toss the ball too high or too low, but rather at a height that allows you to hit it at the peak of your reach. (many coaches will tell you that toss is everything to make the best serve)
- Don’t hit the ball too hard or soft, but with a controlled and consistent force to hit the target and the court.
- Don’t hit the ball with your fingers or the side of your hand, but rather with the flat part of your palm.
- Practice your serve by repeating these steps and adjusting your power, angle, and spin. You can also watch videos of professional players serving to learn from their techniques.
How to Jump Serve
The jump serve is the more advanced and aggressive, as it is performed by jumping in the air and hitting the ball with an open hand over the head. The jump serve can send the ball over the net with a very high speed and a lot of spin, making it difficult for the opponent to receive. The jump serve is similar to the overhand serve but with the addition of a jump. The steps are the same as for approaching for the spike on the net
- Stand behind the baseline and hold the ball in your dominant hand, with your other hand relaxed.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your non-dominant foot leading. Have your feet and body facing slightly to the side of where you plan on serving the ball. This will allow you to generate more momentum and rotation in your jump and swing.
- Bend your knees slightly and raise the ball with an extended arm above your head. Keep your elbow high and your wrist relaxed.
- Toss the ball high in front of you, and take a small step forward.
- Make a 3-step approach (Right-left-right) If you are lefty and jump as high as possible, swinging your arms back and forward to generate more power and lift.
- Swing your arm forward (generate power with full body muscles -core and shoulders) and hit the ball with the palm of your hand at the highest reach point, snapping your wrist at the moment of contact. Follow through with your arm and body, and land on both feet.
Some tips to improve your jump serve are:
- Don’t toss the ball too far or too close, but rather at a distance that allows you to hit it at the peak of your jump or slightly before. The perfect toss depends on your jump. If you can jump higher, you can throw the ball 1-1.5m in front of the baseline. That way you will maximize your power.
- Don’t jump too early or late, but rather in sync with your toss and swing.
- Don’t hit the ball with your fingers or the side of your hand, but rather with the flat part of your palm. Create spin with wrist snap. If you spike the ball with a slight angle, you can create side spin as well. (slide serve)
- Practice your serve by repeating these steps and adjusting your power, angle, and spin. You can also watch videos of professional players serving to learn from their techniques.
- Ideal jump serve speed is 105km/h For men
How to Float Serve
The float serve is a type that does not have any spin but moves unpredictably in the air, like a knuckleball in baseball. The float serve can confuse and deceive the opponent, as they cannot anticipate the direction or speed of the ball. The float serve can be performed either standing or jumping, but the key is to hit the ball with a flat and firm hand without any wrist snap or follow-through. Here are some steps to perform a float serve:
- Stand behind the baseline and hold the ball with both hands.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your non-dominant foot leading. Have your feet and body face directly where you plan to serve the ball. This will line up your body, giving you the most accuracy in your serve.
- The approach for the serve same as with the jump serve, but not as aggressive (3-step approach)
- Toss the ball about slightly above and in front of you (with no spin). And Not as high as for jump spin.
- Swing your arm forward and hit the ball with the palm of your hand at the highest reach point without any wrist snap or follow-through. Aim to hit the ball in the center to avoid any spin.
- Keep your arm and hand in the same position after hitting the ball, and shift your weight from your back foot to your front foot.
Some tips to improve your float serve are:
- Don’t toss the ball too high or too low, but rather at a height that allows you to hit it at the peak of your reach or slightly before.
- Don’t hit the ball too hard or soft, but with a moderate and consistent force.
- Don’t hit the ball with your fingers or the side of your hand, but rather with the flat part of your palm.
- Practice your serve by repeating these steps and adjusting your power, angle, and spin. You can also watch videos of professional players serving to learn from their techniques.
- The ideal speed for float serve is 65km/h for both men and women
What is a Hybrid Serve
A hybrid serve is a type of serve that combines elements of different serving styles to create a unique, unpredictable serve. It often combines elements of the jump and float serve, using a jumping approach with a wrist snap to produce a serve that floats and moves erratically through the air or vice versa. Here are some steps to perform a hybrid serve:
- The beginning of the approach will depend on how you want to deceive the opponent. You can either start with a float or jump approach. In any case, you have to take a 3-step approach.
- Swing your arm forward and hit the ball with the palm of your hand, snapping your wrist at the moment of contact. Depending on the type of hybrid serve you want to perform, you can either hit the ball with a topspin or a float motion. For example, if you want to do a hybrid serve I (topspin into a floater), you should elicit a topspin serve but deliver a floater strike when contacting the ball. If you want a hybrid serve II (floater into topspin), you should elicit a jump floater but change the strike into a powerful topspin serve.
- Follow through with your arm and body, and land on both feet.
Some tips to improve your hybrid serve are:
- Don’t toss the ball too far or too close, but rather at a distance that allows you to hit it at the peak of your jump or slightly before.
- Don’t jump too early or late, but rather in sync with your toss and swing.
- Don’t hit the ball with your fingers or the side of your hand, but rather with the flat part of your palm.
- Practice your serve by repeating these steps and adjusting your power, angle, and spin. You can also watch videos of professional players serving to learn from their techniques.
Best Serving Directions And Tactics
Different strategies for choosing the best serving areas in volleyball depend on the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, the type of serve, and the desired outcome. Generally, the best serving areas create the most difficulty and confusion for the opponent’s passers and disrupt their system. Some common serving areas are:
- The seams: Those are the gaps between the passers, where the ball can fall or cause miscommunication. Serving to the seams can force the passers to move, collide, or hesitate, resulting in a poor pass or a free ball. The seams are usually between the left back passer and the left sideline, the left back passer and the middle back passer, the right back passer and the right back passer, and between the right back passer and the right sideline.
- The short: These are the areas near the net where the ball can drop quickly or catch the passers off guard. Serving short can force the passers to sprint, squat, or tip, resulting in a high or over-pass. The short areas are zones 2, 3, and 4.
- The weak: The areas where the opponent’s weakest passer or hitter is located, where the ball can exploit their flaws or take them out of the play. Serving the weak can force the opponent to rely on their less skilled or less confident players, resulting in a predictable or ineffective offense. The weak areas vary depending on the opponent’s personnel and performance but can be identified by scouting and observing.
Of course, these serving areas are not mutually exclusive and can be combined or alternated to create more variation and pressure. The best serving areas depend on the server’s skills, preferences, and the coach’s instructions and signals. The most important thing is to serve with accuracy, consistency, and purpose and to adapt to the situation and the feedback.
Conclusion
How to serve a volleyball? Serving volleyball is a skill that can make a big difference in your game, as it can give you an advantage over your opponent and help you win more points. However, serving is not easy, and it requires a lot of practice and patience. By learning the different types of serves and following the steps and tips in this blog post, you can improve your serve and become a more effective player. Remember always to have fun and enjoy the game!
I hope this blog post helps you with your volleyball serve. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know!