How to Spike a Volleyball Correctly

The sport of volleyball is all about jumping, serving, setting, passing, blocking and of course spiking. Today, we’ll talk about a volleyball spike (also known as an attack, hit, swing or shot). When carrying out an attack hit a volleyball player aims to score a point for his/her team and win a rally. Obviously, if you would like to take an attacker’s position on the court then you need to master the art of the perfect spike.

There is no doubt that spiking is one of the most important skills in the sport of volleyball. You need to know that it’s not easy to spike a volleyball. It’s important to keep in mind that the skill requires good hand-eye coordination as well as good whole body coordination, strength, ability to move quickly and explosive power. In this blog, we’ll tell you what it takes to be a good spiker. Finally, you’ll be able to figure out how and when a spike is performed.

Learning How to Spike a Volleyball

First of all, you need to take the right position on the court. Right side hitter plays in the first row (right side) of the court. Outside hitter plays either in the first row (left side) or in the back row (left side) of the court. Initially, you need to stand up with your feet hip-width apart. Make sure that your spine is straight. Now, it’s time to watch the play carefully and choose the best moment for carrying out an attack hit.

When the moment comes, you need to approach to the net and prepare for a spike. Actually, a volleyball player needs to take 2 – 4 steps before to carry out an attack hit. That’s why it makes sense for an attacker to learn different volleyball spike approaches such as “last 2 steps”, “3 step approach” as well as “4 step approach”.

It’s recommended for beginner attackers to focus on learning the “last 2 steps approach”. As you may have guessed, a player needs to take 2 steps to approach the net. If you are a right handed attacker then you need to start with the right foot and finish with the left foot. However, if you are a left handed attacker then you need to start with the left foot and finish with the right foot.

After you have mastered “last 2 steps approach” it’s the right time for you to learn the “3 step approach”. If you are a left handed attacker then you need to take the following 3 steps: left foot, right foot and again right foot. However, if you are a left handed attacker then you need to take the following 3 steps: right foot, left foot and again right foot.

Finally, you’ll need to learn “4 step approach”. If you are a right handed attacker then you need to take the following 4 steps: right foot, left foot, right foot and left foot. However, if you are a left handed attacker then you need to take the following 4 steps: left foot, right foot, left foot and right foot.

It’s crucial for you to be able to control the direction of the ball. You should strike the ball in the right place. Let’s imagine that you would you like a ball to go straight ahead after spike. In this case, you need to hit the ball at center. Would you like a ball to go left after strike? If so, you need to hit the ball the right of center. Do you want a ball to go right after strike? Obviously, you should strike the ball left of center.

Another step you need to take is to launch yourself in the air. You should also try your best to face the left back corner of the opponents’ court prior to jumping up. Use the power of your legs to push yourself in the air. Now, your task is to swing the hitting arm around quickly. Your hitting arm has to be kept at shoulder height or higher. Relax your hand. By doing this, you’ll be able to prepare for a spike. When you are about to reach the peak of your jump – just try to relax your legs as well as your whole body.  This will certainly help you hit the ball successfully.

Positioning is very crucial to the perfect spike. In other words, you need to position yourself correctly before striking a ball. You need to keep a ball in front of your hitting shoulder. The ball has to be about 6 – 12 inches in front of you.

Now, it’s time to strike a ball. Put your left arm down quickly and hit the ball with the right arm forcefully. When contacting a ball you need to ensure that your hitting arm is straight, hand is open, palm is flat and fingers are spread.

After completing an attack hit, your task is to land properly on the court and prevent any kind of injuries. Obviously, you should do your best to land on the balls of your feet. Your knees have to be bent as well.

How to Spike a Volleyball Harder

The harder you spike the ball – the better. The reality is if you perform a powerful strike then you’ll certainly make it difficult for the opposing team to resist an attack. So, the question is – how to spike a volleyball harder? Read on to find the correct answer to this interesting and very important question!

It’s recommended to contact the ball when it’s between your head and your hitting shoulder. In order to carry out a successful attack hit you need to put your whole body into a strike. This will definitely help you spike a volleyball harder.

Above all, you should do everything you can to contact a ball with the lower inner corner of your palm. In other words, a ball should be between the thumb and pointer finger. So, you’ll be able to hit a ball forcefully. Make sure that a ball will be able to go over the net and land on the opposite side of the court.

Another thing you need to be aware of is that success in spiking a volleyball depends a lot on consistency. That means that if you would like to spike a volleyball harder then you obviously need to practise volleyball hitting drills on a regular basis. Strength training as well as plyometric jumping exercises must be a key part of your training program. So, you’ll be able to spike a volleyball harder over time.

How to Spike a Volleyball Better

Once you master basic volleyball spiking skills you’ll need to work hard to improve your spike dramatically. Without a doubt, the goal of an attacker is to hit the ball forcefully and precisely. So, the ball has to swing over the net and hit the desired target. Below, you’ll be able to find a few tips on how to spike a volleyball better.

As an attacker, you should constantly try to find the holes in the defence of the opposing team. Obviously, you need to watch the opposite team’s middle blocker as well as the outside blocker carefully. Constantly look for holes between these two players.

It’s crucial for an attacker to be unpredictable. That means that you shouldn’t carry out an attack hit in the same way all the time. Play differently and do your best to make it difficult for the opposite team to resist your attacks.

It’s a great idea to hit to the so called “deep corners” of the volleyball court. By doing this, you’ll be able to make it hard for defensive players to resist your attack. Obviously, you need to practise hitting to the deep corners of the court regularly. So, you’ll be able to develop your own hitting technique over the time. This will make it much easier for you to hit deep corners of the court over time.

Maintaining eye contact with a ball during the game is incredibly important for every hitter. That means that attackers should follow a ball carefully during the game. You need to be even more careful once the ball comes to your side of the net. Wait and choose the best moment for carrying out a successful attack hit.

Thanks for reading our article on how to spike a volleyball correctly. Follow our tips and practise spiking on a regular basis. Sooner or later, you’ll be able to take your volleyball spiking skills to the next level. Best of luck!