Can you determine which way a float serve is going to float by possitioning the valve differently?

Question

I have played volleyball for years, and I'm pretty good, but this is one thing I have always wanted to be able to do but never have. Is there too much chance involved (wind currents in gym), or can you actually do this?

Also, is it better to follow though with your swing or not? Is it bad for your shoulder to stop mid swing?

Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

A good floater serve is a very good thing to have.  

The valve stem used to be a big factor.  In the earlier volleyballs, they were not as balanced as the volleyballs of today.  Servers used to move the ball quickly in their hands to try to get more air on one side of the ball and then serve it.  The other trick was to put the valve stem on the opposite side of where you wanted the ball to float. (If you wanted the ball to float to the left, you would put the stem on the right when you served it.)  With the construction of the volleyballs today, it is not really a factor.

To make a good floater serve, you should keep your hand stiff and flat.  You do need to follow through with your arm.  Do not force the follow through, but do not force it to stop either.  Let it follow through naturally.  Make sure your contact is crisp and firm with the middle of your hand.  You try to make the hand go straight through the ball.  If you have any angle, you will have spin.  

Try to aim your first serve at the exact middle of the court.  You can judge wind currents and the amount of the float on the volleyball that game by your first serve.  If there is a lot of float, keep aiming at the center of the court.  If you decide that there is only a little float, you can aim more toward a line.

Answer 2

To be honest... I do not know. I would be very interested in finding out.

Answer 3

No, its probably not possible... u would have to follow through with your arm in a different direction in order to guide the ball to different zones on the court. To answer your 2nd question, yes it is bad for your shoulder to stop in mid swing. I, out of habit, do that, and i have shoulder problems. If you are trying to do a floater serve, then yes stop MOST of your momentum right after u hit the ball, but then continue a light follow through.

Answer 4

A float serve shouldn't really go in any direction, it should work like a knuckle ball in baseball.  It should look like its having turbulance going back and forth with no spin.

You can have follow through or not, whatever works for you.  i find that with follow through there is more chance of spin.  I have a stiff hand a and pretty much stop my arm swing after contact, like punching the ball.  If you have follow through you tend to have extra contact which will add spin.

Good luck.

Answer 5

The best way to achieve a good float seve is to make contact with the stem. No stopping mid swing is not going to affect your shoulder. Anyone who says that may be inexperienced or is just proe to those type of injuries. When you are serving you are not swinging with full force so there is no way that you are going to wreck your arm.  Wind current will decide your balls path.  I litteraly watched a ball move from one side of the court to the other. It was in provincial ball in Alberta there was a very muggy atmosphere with a door open on both corners of the gym with a slight breeze moving through. It was quite amazing!!!