I cant seem to spike with any power, do you have any tips?

Question

I know my timing is off, but even when I do it without jumping just to practice, my hit doesnt seem to have any velocity on it.

Answer 1

rocket to your pocket always helped me a lot!

Answer 2

Roll your palm over the ball and aim at the top of the ball. Remember to hit it down. Exercises that can help you spike better are weightlifting and some drilling. A simple drill I know is to spike the ball hard down on the floor and let it bounce to the wall and hit it again, repeating the same thing.

Answer 3

Everyone is right when they say it comes from your body, more specifically your core or your abs.  When you are up and ready to hit the ball your right arm should be up and back, and your left arm should be strong, out in front, they look almost like if you were pulling a bow in arrow.  Both arrows should be strong and they should move down, first the left arm, then the right arm as you continue your swing.  This motion is similar to the freestyle swimming stroke.  Use your body for the majority of your power.

To help learn how to use your abs and to learn to shift your weight (to add to power) more appropriately in the air.  Try playing the "Wall Game."  Stand about 10 feet off the wall.  Hit the ball down to the ground close enough to the wall that it bounces off the floor, then off the wall, and then back to you.  If you do it right, it will arch up so you can hit it again.  The harder you hit, the farther it will go and the more controlled you will be.  Make sure you practice moving your feet to the ball too!  It will help when you need to adjust to a bad set.

Good luck!!!

Answer 4

Practice more on the floor without jumping.

Your strength comes from your arm swing, your abs, your wrist, and your position against the ball... and you need to put them all together.

In basketball you jump *under* the ball to grab it, in volleyball you jump *behind* the ball to spike it... there is a little habit change at the beginning.

Make sure you have your palm curved like a cup to contact the rear-top part of the ball so that you have better control. Bend yourself backward a little bit before swinging, and follow thru your swing with the help of your abs... bow to the ball when you finish.

Answer 5

Keep the ball in front of you when you're hitting.  Also, don't overextend when hitting, try keeping your shoulders square.

Answer 6

I think that Nikkie got most of it, but one thing that also helps, which I learned form a college coach recently, is to make that last step in your spike approach really powerful.  It should sound almost as if your stomping the ground.  The faster those last two steps in your spike approach are, the more energy that you're going to create resulting in a higher jump and a harder hit.  It's weird at first but it does work.

Answer 7

THE STRENGTH IN YOUR HIT COMES FROM YOUR ABS. FACE YOUR SETTER IN THE "LOAD" POSITION, AND WHEN THE BALL IS IN THE AIR TURN YOUR ABS AND SMACK THE BALL WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND. WHEN YOU ARE READY ADD YOUR APPROACH TO THIS STEP. DON'T FORGET TO MOVE YOUR ABS!

Answer 8

You need to make sure that you snap your wrist and hit with your arm all the way up.

Answer 9

put more power in your arm

Answer 10

REACH HIGH HIGH HIGH FOR THE BALL WHEN YOU ARE INTHE AIR, KEEP YOUR ELBOW UP, SNAP YOUR WRIST WHEN YOU CONTACT THE BALL, AND SWING FAST, ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

Answer 11

make sure you are swinging through

and always keep the ball infront of you

i always just get mad at my coach and i hit it harder haha:)

Answer 12

-instead of just using arm power.. use your weight to add more power to it.

when you jump.. you should be able to jump from the 10 ft line or a little in front of it and land just 5 inches off the net...

use a whip like motion with your elbow... you can practice with a tennis ball by throwing it in the air with your hitting hand and catch it with your hitting hand but make sure to follow through.. its just like hitting a volleyball but your just catch it... after that you can start hitting the tennis ball against the wall.

also when you hit you can also arch your back and snap it forward when you hit along with whipping your arms and using your weight... that will be a VERY powerful hit.

Lifting weights help too... do curls and bench presses and also push ups. Do the bench presses and push ups fast... you want to work on  your twitch muscles so when you hit it.. your whipping motion is faster. For the curls just try to build muslce in your biceps, it doesnt have to be fast pace.