I really need help with serving over hand?

Question

every time i try to i either come really colse or i hit it with my fingers or my toss is really bad..please help i'm getting really frustrated.

Answer 1

i know it sounds kind of crazy but i watch pros on tv and watch their movements and then imitate it exactly without the ball.  also, with a ball, i hold it at the level i want to toss it and just move my arm towards it without actually tossing.

Answer 2

Read all of these answers than apply everything you think will work for you to all the practice you can get in!!!

You gotta practice... muscle memory will help you continue to make perfect serves!

Answer 3

You need to throw it with your left hand (if you are right handed or vise versa) extended straight out in front of you with your body pivoted to the right and bend you knees slightly then practice tossing the ball up lightly so it barely goes over your head and practice this with your right arm pulled straight back like you are going to shoot a bow and arrow and pratice this a lot then go to a wall and begin timing your throws and your arms responses at hitting you will eventually get  your timing down to where you dont have to think about it and then you can work on the strength and force you exert on the ball. I know this sounds weird and it hard to explain I was awarded best server on my team and ive taught a lot of girls how to serve its a lot easier to show it and explain it in person tho.

Answer 4

Practice with tossing the ball up in front of you. also go to a fence and toss the ball up and catch it in the middle of the racket against the fence. your hand that toss the ball should come down when the racket comes over your head, if you are doing the circle serve. another way is to hold the racket like you taking on the phone.

Answer 5

i had trouble serving overhand as well. at the beginning of the season, i was alright, but one day, i come to practice, and i just forgot how! my coach had to reteach it to me again. i'm a righty, so start with you left hand out in front of you and your left foot back. as you throw the ball a couple of feet up, step up with your left foot and "walk it in" as your right hand strikes the ball. make sure you don't throw the ball up too high or too low. the more you practice, the more natural it will feel for you.

best of luck, and have fun!!

oh, and one more thing--- don't bend your right arm back! hold it straight!

Answer 6

i had this same problem during the season this year!

but my coaches and some of the varsity players helped me out and showed me some techniques.

hope i help!

one thing that really helps me is an extra step;

this might be because i'm short. i'm not sure.

but bri (the one that helped me serve) is only about 5'2 and i'm 5'3. so this might just hlep short people. lol.

for a normal overhand serve;

people take one step and then serve.

try an extra step. step with the right foot,

then step with the left foot and serve.

another thing is..

i do a hop. lol. yes; i hop when i serve.

its more of getting into a rhythm for me.

sometimes just going through certain steps can help alot.

you also might want to do strength training.

i lifted 6 lb. weights every night fifteen times.

it really helped a lot. just normal curls and also putting your arm straight up in the air, and going backwards. the weight goes to the back of your shoulder. but don't go too far; you'll strain your muscle. this excercise strengthens the back of your arm; which is important for serving.

hope i helped. :)

Answer 7

try using a softer ball to practice with, then when you get comfortable try using the volleyball. Try meditating to drive the stress away, or maybe hit a pillow.

Answer 8

just make sure you put your whole body into it. i know this sounds cliche but the toss does matter a lot too.

Answer 9

I know how you feel!  Our volleyball season just started, and all we have been doing lately is serving.  I couldn't get my serve over, so my coach told me to practice these things:

  

   Your toss.  Make sure that you are getting a good toss on your serve.  Put the ball in the hand that you don't serve with, and stretch that arm out.  After you do your steps, squat down a little bit, and then pop back up, and let the ball fly out of your hands.  You don't actually need to throw the ball that much; you just need to get it in the air.  Make sure that it isn't going too far behind your head so that you need to bend back to hit the ball (because this wastes a lot of your power).  Make sure that the ball is going above your head... but you still need to be able to see it so that you can make contact with it.

  

   Your steps.  Make sure that you are doing your steps correctly.  Here is how we do it at our school.  We take the ball in the hand that we don't hit the ball with, and we extend it out.  You other hand is going  to be bent at about your ear.  If you are serving with your right hand, your right foot is going to be a little bit (about half of a foot) ahead of your left foot (and vise versa if you are serving with your left hand).  Next, you squat down, and once you start to come back up and release the ball, you take one step with your left foot.  Then you hit the ball, and while you hit it, you drag your right foot on the ground (but remember, this is all opposite if you are left handed).

  

   Connection.  Make sure that you are hitting the ball with the palm of your hand.  Practice hitting against a wall over and over again until you can hit the ball with your palm everytime.

  

   Focus.  Make sure that you are completely focusing on the ball!  Do not let anyone or anything distract you!  Keep your eye on the ball, and you will be sure to connect with it!

  

   Strength.  If none of these ideas are working, you obviously need more strength!  Drink plently of milk (white), and eat a lot of protein.  Try to do some excercises each day, and you will be getting those serves over the net in the blink of an eye!

  

   Effort.  Don't give up!  Just keep on trying and trying and trying until you get it over!  If you lose hope, you won't get it over at all.

   Last year, I couldn't serve the ball over the net to save my life!  But now that I have tried these techniques, I have improved so much!  If you have anymore questions, feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail] whenever you feel like it!  Good luck with your serves!  You can do it!  : - )

Answer 10

If you want medeation, I will check out this CD at http://www.collegevolleyball.net

However, in all reality it is something you can fix with just practice in the gym. One technique I suggest to girls at my volleyball camp is to make sure you open up using your torso and don't "bend backwords" to get strength.

So with your feet and body facing the net, use your torso to open up your body so your chest is now facing the wall to your right (if right handed). That will give you more power than if you were to dip backwards.

Answer 11

okay you have to throw it in front of you. (if you throw it behind you you waste all your energy) don't throw it too high or too low, have it right in the middle. when it hits the perfect spot in the air high five the ball

Answer 12

before serving do some practice serves or practice throwing up in the air before u serve. i know how u feel i was the same way for awhile. i would always come close or it would go off somewhere else. if u concentrate enough and stay calm and think of something that u think that would make u hit the ball over then think off it.

for me after awhile i would pretend the ball was my dad's head it worked it helped to get the ball over the net.

u could also practice at home and work on it there and u will get better after practicing that always helps u can never get to much pratice in..

Good luck and hoped i helped u out!

remeber to have fun in volleyball and don't get so frustrated with it.

Answer 13

Try mediation. Pretend you have the ball and serve the ball while you have no real ball with you. Use your imagine of how to serve volleyball  for awhile. Then you can build up the confidence of how to serve better. Observe in the websites below:

Coolguy

Answer 14

You need to practice throwing the ball in the air before hitting.  Do it over and over until the ball only travels straight up about 1-2 feet over your head.  Make sure that your throwing hand stays straight.  Don't bend at your elbow until right before you release the ball.

Answer 15

pace yourself. dont go too fast and dont think about it too much. before you serve, just relax and shake it off!