Secrets to Better Overhand Serve

Serve is a key element of a volleyball game. In fact, a serve means the beginning of a rally in volleyball. It’s pretty clear that volleyball players should aim to carry out a serve in the best possible way.

Oftentimes, young volleyball players find it difficult to carry out the perfect overhand serve. It’s no surprise that mastering a volleyball overhand serve requires dedication, time, hard work as well as preparation. So, you may need to spend a lot of time to be able to execute a volleyball overhand serve. And of course, volleyball players should constantly work on improving an overhand serve.

This blog post shares the secrets to better overhand serve. First of all, we’ll explain to you what a volleyball overhand serve is. Then, we’ll tell you about different types of overhand serve in the sport of volleyball. After that, we’ll dig deeper and give you some insights into the process of serving a volleyball overhand. Plus, we’ll provide you with tips for improving a volleyball overhand serve. Keep on reading to get a better understanding of how to serve a volleyball overhand effectively.

What is a Volleyball Overhand Serve?

An overhand serve in volleyball is the type of serve that mainly consists of two actions – tossing the ball and hitting the ball. In order to execute a volleyball serve a volleyball player has to strike the ball when it’s in the air above their head.

What is great about overhand serve is that it’s versatile. If you execute a powerful overhand volleyball serve, you’ll make it difficult for the opposing volleyball team to receive the ball and make an accurate pass. It’s also important to note that an overhand serve is more difficult than an underhand serve. So, you must be prepared that it may take you too much time to master the art of overhand serve in volleyball.

The big question is – what does it take to master an overhand serve in volleyball? It goes without saying that you need to practice an overhand serve on a regular basis to make things happen. When working on an overhand serve you need to pay a close attention to things like accuracy, power and speed. If you would like to improve your overhand serve, then you have to focus on all of these important aspects.

Different Types of Volleyball Overhand Serves

Actually, there are three different types of overhand serves in volleyball sport. These include a basic volleyball overhand serve, a top-spin jump serve as well as a jump float serve. It’s worth noting that each of these volleyball serving methods has its own peculiarities. Now, let’s try to dive into the process of serving a volleyball overhand and to figure out what are the key differences between the volleyball overhand serving methods.

The process of serving with a basic overhand serve consists of the following six steps: 1) taking the correct initial position on the court; 2) holding the ball in front of you; 3) preparing a hand for serving the ball; 4) tossing the ball into the air 5) getting your body ready for an overhand serve and 6) hitting the ball.

The process of serving with a top-spin jump serve consists of the following five steps: 1) taking the correct initial position on the court; 2) tossing the ball into the air; 3) approaching to the ball; 4) getting your hitting arm ready for serve and 5) hitting the ball.

The process of serving with a jump float serve consists of the following four steps: 1) taking the correct initial position on the court; 2) tossing the ball into the air; 3) jumping and 4) hitting the ball.

How to Serve a Volleyball Overhand

No matter what type of an overhand serve you are planning to master, the process of serving will consist of taking the correct position on the court, tossing the ball and hitting the ball. Below, we’ll give you more details on each of steps for the perfect overhand serve.

1. Position yourself on the court correctly. It all begins with preparation. The first step you need to take is to take the correct initial position on the volleyball court and prepare for an overhand volleyball serve. It’s worth noting that the quality of an overhand serve depends a lot on server’s footwork. In other words, you will be able to carry out the perfect overhand serve only if your footwork is absolutely correct. The big question is – where to put your feet? Let’s get the answer right away. Place your right foot slightly in front of your left foot. The distance between your feet needs to be approximately 12 inches. Your knees have to be slightly bent. This will make it possible for you to keep your body well-balanced. However, you need to feel comfortable on the court. A server has to stand behind the end line on the court.
2. Toss the ball in the air correctly. Take a ball in your left hand. When holding the ball you shouldn’t try to squeeze it. On the other hand, you shouldn’t allow the ball to fall out of your hand. So, it’s important for you to find a happy medium. Now, it’s time for you to get ready for a serving motion. All that you need to do is to put your right hand near your right ear. Make sure that you palm is facing the ground. Next, you need to toss the ball slightly in the air. Obviously, you shouldn’t throw the ball behind you. This is something that should be avoided. Ideally, the ball should go towards your right hand.
3. Hitting the ball. Hitting is the final stage of an overhand serve. Serving the ball obviously requires timing. It’s crucial for you to select the right moment for hitting the ball. Your goal is to hit the ball when it reaches its highest point. And of course, you need to use strength in order to be able to hit the ball forcefully and precisely. When hitting you should aim to push the ball as hard as you can. It’s also important for you to contact the ball in the right way. Try to contact the ball between your palm and fingers. This will allow you to create more power for an overhand volleyball serve. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t stop your hand after contacting the ball. So, let your arm go all the way down the ball.

Tips for Mastering a Volleyball Overhand Serve

We have just told you everything you need to know about an overhand serve in volleyball. As you can see, carrying out a perfect overhand serve is no easy task. Obviously, a lot of work needs to be done to achieve great results in overhand volleyball serving. Now, we would like to provide you with a few tips to help you master a perfect overhand serve quickly and successfully. Follow these tips to practise an overhand serve in the best possible way.

– Clearly, you need to use a lot of strength in order to create power in your serve. That’s the reason why you need to focus on strength exercises. As a result, you’ll be able to serve the ball with power!

– Additionally, an overhand serve in volleyball requires coordination. That means that volleyball exercises and drills for better coordination need to be a part of server’s training program. Doing this type of volleyball exercises and drills will help you to keep your body well-balanced on the court during an overhead serve.

– Toss is the key to the success of an overhead serve in volleyball. However, a ball has to be tossed in the right way. Toss the ball at the height of 12 – 18 inches.

– When serving the ball, it’s important for you to keep wrist firm. This will allow you to serve the ball with power and prevent getting injuries during an overhand volleyball serve.

– During the serve you need to transfer the weight from the back foot to the left foot.

– After you carry out an overhand serve, next you have to get back to the court and prepare for the game. If an opposing volleyball team receives the ball successfully, they will definitely try to organize an attack. All of this means that you must be prepared to resist an attack hit after carrying out an overhand serve.

Thank you so much for reading this article. Do you find it hard to master the perfect overhand serve? Don’t fail into despair! Obviously, it takes a volleyball player some time to learn how to serve a volleyball overhand effectively. That’s why it’s so important for a volleyball server to be patient. Follow our tips, train hard and train smart to succeed in volleyball overhand serving. If you practise this type of a volleyball serve, success will definitely come to you over time. Sooner or later, you’ll serve perfectly. Best of luck!