Perform an Underhand Volleyball Serve
This tutorial will teach you how to perform an underhand serve in volleyball properly.
Contents
Steps
- If you are right-handed, put your left leg forward and put all your weight on your back foot. (opposite for left-handers)
- Place the ball in the palm of your non striking hand under the volleyball and hold it out in front of you a little lower than your hip and across your body directly in the line of your striking hand. (Elbow straight)
- Make sure your right (striking) hand is in a fist. (Closed fingers and heel of hand facing the ceiling).
- Let your striking hand drop from behind the ball to back beyond your hips a little bit. (Elbow straight-closed fingers and heel facing the floor)
- As you step forward with the opposite foot of the striking hand (Both elbows are still straight) bend your knees, lower the held ball and lean your head over the ball, bring your striking hand forward to meet the ball.
- The heel of your hand and folded fingers strike just beside your pinkie. Don't let your foot go over the line or it is considered a foot fault.
- Once you make contact with the ball, extend your legs up for power,and follow through!(follow through: continue your arm swing upward and point your striking hand in the direction of your intended target).
Tips
- Coming up with a "routine" before serving, such as bouncing the ball a few times, or turning it so that the logo faces forward, will get you used to performing a consistent serve. This works because you are always doing the same thing before you serve, which sets you up for always being steady and consistent in the serve. Many people suddenly become excellent servers just by using this tip.
- If you follow all of these steps but the ball always falls short, it is probably because you have not yet built up enough strength to get it over the net. Use some momentum--put your body into it.
- Always face the direction that you want the ball to travel.
- Use some power! Don't be afraid to show people how good you are, put your body into your serve-it will do you much better!
- Slow down. It's common for people to miss serves because they get too excited and rush into it without really focusing on their form.
- It helps some people to keep their thumb pointed out and not in the fist because that way you have a little more control (only beginners should do it that way, since it becomes an illegal hit later in the sport as you become more advanced).
- Hit the ball out of your hand beside your pinkie. Do not toss or drop it.
- Don't forget to hit the ball with the heel of your palm!
- Keep your hand flat.
- Take your thumb out when you're making the fist.
- Don't hit with your bones; it will give you more pain than usual.
- If you accidentally step over the line or come very close (a foot fault), remember on your next serve to step back about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.
Warnings
- Experiment hitting the ball harder and softer to get better at the serve.
- This might hurt your wrist, your fingers, or your knuckles a bit.
