Any Tips on How To Hit A Volleyball Down & Hard?

Question

I'm a great passer & digger, I just want to get better in hitting. I'm 5'8 so I'm supposed to be up front but somehow I am moree comfortable in the back row. Any advice & tips on how to get better? please :)

Answer 1

snap your wrist and swing your arm as fast as you can. You should end with your hand extended as far backwards as it will go. hope this helps!

Answer 2

a lot of it is about the lean, everybody has said relevant information, such as timing, hitting at the peak of your jump, wrist snap.  Keep in mind issues such as shoulder turn, full body snaps (snap at the waist with the stomach), keeping your hitting and guide arm high at all times, and lean.  A lot of coaches will tell you to jump straight up to maximize your vertical, which is mostly true, but the amount of vertical that you lose with a very slight body lean, is made up with the increased speed (from not changing direction as much, from sprint to jump), as well as now your body is facing slightly down, towards the court instead of straight ahead at the back wall.  With a slight lean a normal hit, or even miss hit, is automatically aimed down at the court.  If you can piece all of this together it should help a great amount.

one last issue is working with the setter.  make sure that they know where you like to have the ball.  although you may not know where this is yet.  it's a hitters preference.  some like it right on the net, and others a foot or more off.  The set placement greatly effects your hitting technique.  

If anybody else has any questions regarding volleyball, feel free to ask me, and i'll give all the advice that i can.    I am the Captain of the Men's Volleyball team at the University at Buffalo.

Answer 3

you need to get on top of it and go down on it hard and fast.  

oh, that sounds dirty.

Answer 4

Make sure to take the three step approach. Left, right, left. Swing your arms up when you jump to get as much heigth as you can. Hit the ball with your open hand on top and snap your wrist. Make sure when you swing you pull your shoulder back to get a full swing.

Answer 5

jump high, swing hard

Answer 6

for you to be able to hit a volleyball down and hard you need to:

1. have a good approach

2. have a high jump

3. make sure to hit the ball on your palm

4. swing hard

5. make sure to snap your wrist

6. swing all the way through

KEEP PRACTICING AND GOOD LUCK

Answer 7

Practice, practice, practice.

The swing and the jump will come with time.  But timing is the most important thing in hitting.  The point is a point, no matter how hard it hits the floor - worry about finding the floor first, and then you can work on how fast it finds the floor later.

Answer 8

Jump then act lik eu hitting some1 u hate then th eball should go strate down

Answer 9

Hit the ball at the top of your jump, and be sure to snap your wrist downward as you make contact with the ball. Swing all the way through, like you're going to give someone a low five behind your back when you're done.

Answer 10

ok the best way to hit a volleyball isnt always down and hard but most of the time in the back corner because its mostly wide open, but if you want to hit down and hard try to increase your vertical and when you actually touch the ball, keep it in front of you so it goes down and dont forget to snap that wrist!

Answer 11

Strength helps but its not all about strength, most of it is in the timing, proper mechanics and the wrist snap.   Its a lot like a tennis serve.  

One practice drill is to stand a few feet from a wall and just practice spiking the ball down so that it bounces on the floor, against the wall and then back to you.  Practice this as much as you can.

This will give you a better 'feel' for the ball, and you can improve your shoulder strength and timing.  The motion starts with an arm movement but finishes with your wrist.

Once you feel comfortable with that then you can incorporate that into 'live' practice drills on the court and combine it with jumping and active play.

Answer 12

It has more to do with how well you control your swing than how hard you swing. Simply swinging hard is not the answer. All voleyball skills have more to do with control than power and stregnth.

Many people have already said to take your 3 step approach, swing your arms back at the moment of your jump, then bring your shoulder back, swing, contact the ball, snap your wrist and swing through the ball completely. During your follow-through remember to crunch your abs as well, this hepls the downward projection of the ball.

When you swing remember to use your other hand as your guide hand, you should be addressing the ball as if you are holdinga bow and arrow at it.

Answer 13

when the ball comes, jump and smack it with the spot between your palm and wrist (a little to the side) while your coming down. you can try spike it with 2 hands... thats what my friend do.

Answer 14

1.first practice your approach, the basic is a 3 step approach:you'll do a 2 step getting to the ball and the 3rd step of leaping.

2.while doing this,swing your arms fromback to front.

when at the top of your jump place your arm (hitting arm) in a 10 or 11 o'clock position. Then hit it.

3.While hitting it, the hand should do a closing motion. I think the term is called a "clip",if done correctly, the ball will have a front spin motion causing it to go down the floor with lots of speed.

Answer 15

snap your wrist. my coach will stand there and yell at us for not doing so.

Answer 16

u might need to have a good form going up there

if ur a righty u take off with ur left foot first and take 3 sorta jumpy steps and jump as high as u can when u come in contact with the ball make ur hand strong and swing ur arm down....

hope this helps

Answer 17

when spiking curve and open your hand and hit down