Can anyone please tell me how to serve a floater?

Question

Can anyone please tell me how to serve a floater?

Answer 1

I've personally heard alot of ways to serve a floater.  I find the way I do it easiest and most effective.  Stand with both toes about three inches behind the line.  When you toss toss without a spin and a little bit in front of you.  Swing hard and when you make contact stop.  You need a powerful swing to do it this way.  No step floaters take practice, but one you get them down, it throws the other team off.  Good luck!

Answer 2

Here's how I do it: Stand facing the baseline with left foot, or right foot if you are a Lefty, toss the ball up and in front of my right hand. The i accellerate my right hand to the ball and strike it with the heel of my hand. Then as soon as I contact I draw my hand back, not following thru the ball. This gets me a nice knuckleball effect and a nice late drop.

Answer 3

Make sure when you do the toss up that it has NO SPIN....and make sure you stop after you make contact with the ball, hand up high.

Answer 4

Hi,

    A float serve is like a knuckleball in baseball - it should have no spin.  The most effective float server will be hard and barely make it over the net (this is called "flat").  It is a little hard to explain the mechanics in writing, but here it goes:

1-Start by holding the ball in your left hand (assuming you are righty) at eye level.  

2-Bring your right hand straight back - like you are pulling a bow and arrow.

3-You want to then quickly strike the ball with the meat/palm of your hand directly in the middle of the ball.

4-You almost hit the ball off your left hand - not much of a toss.

5-If you do it right, the ball will go with no spin and "float".  

Don't worry about the float - if you get no spin it won't always float a lot - that is kind of random.  Like I said - it is more effective it is a hard serve that barely makes it over the net and lands in the back of the court.  Also, it takes a fair amount of upper body/arm strength to do correctly.

Good Luck

Answer 5

Do the things above this answer.  

I just want to stress some things.  When you do a topspin serve or a spike, you want the long follow through.  With the floater serve, you do not want a follow through.  But, do not stop the follow through.  If you force the stopping of the follow through, you will not likely reach the bottom of the net with your serve.  You just do not force the follow through.  Try to let your arm stop naturally.

  

You want to keep your wrist firm and flat.  Try to make sure the contact is firm and sharp.  And hit the center of the ball with the center of your hand.  

If you start getting the ball to float, aim for the middle of the court.  There are days where my serve floated as much as 10 feet.  There were other days where my serve floated 10 inches.  If you try for the right sideline right away and it is a good floating day, you could hit your serve behind the opponent's bench.  Aim at the middle of the court and let it float where it wants.