The Types of Serves in Volleyball (Comprehensive Guide)

Undoubtedly, if you were to ask many volleyball players, they would agree that the most crucial play during a match stands out prominently.

Some might argue for the significance of a side out, while others may describe the attack as a crucial play during a match.

While some assert that serving holds the utmost significance in volleyball, opposing opinions exist. Regardless of position, serving is undeniably crucial in the sport.

Initiating every point, the serve is the catalyst for play, and a proficient server is essential for creating optimal scoring opportunities by strategically placing the ball to challenge the opponent’s passing ability.

In this article, we delve into the impact of consistent serving in securing victories, explore various types of serves in volleyball, and identify strategic locations for effective serves.

It’s Important to Serve Consistently

Maintaining competitiveness in teams hinges significantly on consistent serving, as unreliable serving poses a considerable challenge for any team striving to compete effectively.

To excel in serving, two essential actions must be mastered:

One primary advantage is that it enables your team to engage in both offensive and defensive maneuvers with the ball in play.

A serve successfully putting the ball in play holds equal value to an ace, where the ball contacts the ground or is poorly handled by the first passer.

Good, consistent serves also exert a psychological impact on your opponents’ mentality.

In situations involving an unreliable server, confidence tends to favor the serve-receive side of the network. Conversely, when equipped with a skilled server consistently putting the ball in play, the receiving team assumes the responsibility of handling the pressure.

When devising your serve strategy, prioritize consistency as the foremost factor, followed by accuracy and then power. This rule, elucidated later in our coaching tips, underscores the pivotal role of consistency in building a successful volleyball team.

What Are The Components Of Serving In Volleyball?

Irrespective of the serve type, a proficient serve should seamlessly blend effective technique with a well-executed toss. In brief review:

Stance

Being positioned slightly angled to the ball with a high elbow should evoke the spiking technique in your serve, serving as a helpful reminder.

Contact

In a float serve, emphasis is placed on making contact with the ball as flat as possible, minimizing spin. In contrast, a topspin serve relies on technique to generate spin, enhancing control and accuracy.

Tossing

Initiate the serve by throwing the ball in front of you, moving through it and onto the court. For float serves, keep the toss lower compared to topspin serves. Maintain the low-to-high motion just below the apex of your swing, finding the sweet spot through practice with different tosses.

Establishing a routine is advisable if not already in place. It doesn’t need to be conspicuous; it just has to be effective for you. Whether it’s a subtle action like bouncing the ball or a mental visualization, opt for what suits your individual preferences.

A routine aids in maintaining consistent performance under pressure by connecting serving in practice to serving in actual matches. Failing to integrate your routine and approach to serving seriously in practice may lead to reverting to your practice form during match play.

Types of Serves in Volleyball

Tailored to skill level and competitive context, various types of volleyball serves exist. The underhand serve, noted for its simplicity, is particularly common among beginners due to its ease of learning.

In competitive volleyball, three primary types of overhand serves—floaters, topspins, and jump serve—are employed. Experimenting with each is recommended to identify the most suitable for you, although achieving proficiency in all three is advisable.

Underhand Serve

Primarily employed for recreational purposes, this serve in volleyball differs from other types as it demands a lower level of skill and coordination.

With one foot stepped back and the ball held in the opposite hand, execute the serve by shifting your weight forward. Employ your other hand fisted, striking the ball just below its center or equator.

Overhand Serves

In competitive high school and college volleyball, overhand serves to take precedence, with topspin and float emerging as the two most prevalent types.

Initiate the overhand serve by positioning your dominant foot back and holding the ball in your non-dominant hand. Subsequently, transfer the ball to your hitting hand and proceed by throwing it upward.

Diversify your overhand serves by adjusting how you hit the ball, considering three main distinctions: the server’s body position, the point of contact with the ball, and the follow-through.

Floater

Float serves, also known as floaters, lack spin, making them particularly challenging to pass. The unpredictability of a floater’s movement, with the potential to shift unexpectedly to the right, left, or drop suddenly, adds to its difficulty for opponents.

Execute a floater by striking behind the middle of the ball, keeping your hand positioned in front of your body, and incorporating a partial follow-through of the arm. The objective is to prevent the ball from spinning by hitting directly behind it.

Topspin

A topspin serve, originating from the top, exhibits rapid forward spin. Due to its high speed and quick descent, this serve poses a greater challenge to handle and pass compared to a floater, owing to its more predictable trajectory.

To execute a topspin serve, elevate the toss with a higher trajectory, position yourself beneath it, and strike the ball downward and outward in a sweeping motion. Ensure a complete follow-through of the arm, incorporating a wrist snap to impart the necessary spin.

Jump Serve

Reserved for more advanced players, jump serves involve a notably higher toss, positioned several feet in front of the server. The approach becomes more attack-oriented, requiring a jump and striking the ball with the heel while airborne. During this serve, the palm faces the target, and the wrist remains stiff for optimal execution.

The jump serve, characterized by the added complexity of jumping, poses a considerable challenge for opponents to handle. However, the drawback of the extra motion is an increased risk of serving errors. While there is a possibility of executing a jump serve with a floater, the majority of jump serves are typically accompanied by topspin.

Serving Location

Leveraging your team’s consistent and adaptable service opens up myriad strategic possibilities.

Enhancing your serving success rate involves capitalizing on location in the following ways:

Hit it hard to the middle soft spot

This aims to exploit indecision, as balls delivered with pace between two players pose a challenge for effective passing, particularly when communication between them is hindered.

Down the line

Executing effective serves down the line relies on deception. Coaching players to employ strategic eye and hand placement to guide the ball toward the line proves to be a valuable method for achieving this.

Misdirection off-court

Guide the ball to the opposite side of the court from the server by making contact and following through outside of the center.

Slow it down

Serve receivers often anticipate hard serves, making them predictable. To disrupt expectations, consider serving several hard serves consecutively, followed by a slower version like a floater.

Overhead deep shot

While teams typically concentrate on identifying gaps in front of passers, the open space behind serve receivers is often overlooked. Exploit this area if it is left unguarded by the opposing team. To assess passers’ ability to reach this zone in time, consider employing a float serve or a serve with an increased pace.

It’s effective and challenging

During the jump, the player creates the impression of gearing up for a fast-paced serve over the net. Diminishing the speed of a jump serve can effectively bewilder serve receivers, diminishing the likelihood of a successful return attack.

Fly it high

Descending from the sky like a meteor, the “sky ball” serves as a disorienting and unconventional tactic. Particularly effective against teams adept at consistently returning serves, this unique serve can disrupt opponents and restore serving efficiency by combining rarity with unusual angles.

Quick Coaching Tips for Serve Strategies

Consider incorporating the earlier mentioned 80-90-100 rule into your team’s strategy for potential benefits.

As a general guideline, servers can follow this roadmap to enhance their performance.

• – First serve: Aim for 80% power
• – Second serve: Target 90% power
• – Third serve: Deploy 100% power

Adhering to this principle makes servers more accurate, as they resist the temptation to unleash their first serve of the game or match at maximum power.

As confidence grows during the match, servers have the flexibility to alternate between the sequences 80-90-100, 90-100-80, and 80-100-90.

Maintaining a varied approach to serving by not consistently deploying maximum speed keeps opponents uncertain and on edge.

The 80-90-100 principle can prove beneficial for younger teams prone to consistently attempting maximum power, offering a structured approach to optimize serving efficiency.

The probability of serving the ball in play significantly increases when a player adopts the mindset of telling themselves, “I don’t have to hit this as hard as I can.”

Conclusion

Commencing every volleyball match, the serve plays a pivotal role in putting opponents on the defensive in today’s game. Recognizing the impossibility of winning volleyball games solely relying on side-outs underscores the importance of delivering effective serves.

Formulate a team characterized by consistent serving, adept at placing the ball strategically across different parts of the court. Instill the understanding that not every serve requires perfection, fostering a well-rounded and versatile serving approach.

Also Read: Volleyball Setter Plays [Guide 2024]