Make overhand volleyball serve more consistent? ♥?

Question

My underhand is beautiful and its in over 90% of the time. Everyone always complements me about it, but next year I NEED to learn overhand if I wanna make varsity. I've tried so much to get my overhand down pat and believe me sometimes (1 out of 10 times) it's absolutely perfect! No consistency though :( Next year I'll be in 8th grade.

Answer 1

start out by doing some upper body excersizes with bands to strengthen your upper body. when you are practicing your serve make sure your toss is in front of you and your elbow is up. when im serving i think about reaching for the ball and even throwing a baseball. also make sure your other hand is up guiding.

Answer 2

Everyone who plays volleyball goes through this. Make sure you are looking at the ball the whole time as you serve it! That way you can look at where you are hitting. Cup your hand and make sure you hit the ball  a little bit lower than the middle of the ball, so that is goes up and over. Practice serving at the wall.....this helped me because the ball comes right back to you and you can get more serves into your practice. when you hit the ball, hit it as if you are going through the ball. You will find your own way of hitting the ball and over time, you will be able to have a picture perfect serve!!



PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!

Answer 3

Practice more

Answer 4

Always have the same routine to your serve - get your perfect toss "down pat", always hit the ball at the same part of your palm, basically just get your basic steps down. It seems as though you know how to do a perfect serve, you just need consistency. And consistency means doing the same thing over and over. Keep serving until you can get 9 out of 10 overhands over the net and in bounds. Don't try to do anything fancy for now (no topspins or jumpserves, unless you naturally have a topspin, which is GREAT), just practice that perfect serve! (Oh, and always remember to keep your hand wide open when you hit the ball, therefore having WAY more control over where the ball goes, so you can even be a spot server. Eventually.) Have a great season!

Answer 5

Toss the ball about 2 to 3 feet above your right shoulder.  Do not serve it yet.  Toss about 100 without serving.  You need to get a consistent toss first before you do anyting else.  

If you are right handed, your left foot is slightly forward.  Plant your right foot.  You can let it drag, but do not take a step with your right foot.  You will lose all power if your right foot takes a step.  

Start at the 3 meter line (10 foot line) and then serve the ball.  Get it over 5 times from there.  Take one step back and serve again.  If you get it over, take one more step back.  Keep doing this until you get back to the service line.  

Your problem with your serve is both mental and physical.  Keep practicing and you will work on the physical part of your problem.  If you do not think you can get the serve over and in, you can not get the serve over and in.  It looks like a long way from the service line to get the serve over.  Once you conquer your mental and physical aspects of the overhand serve, you will be amazed that you ever had a problem in the first place.

Answer 6

Ok here is what I have to do:

Practice tossing the ball so that it is about 2 feet above you head. To know about how far that is, put your arms up in the air, look at your finger tips and imagine the ball being about 2 hands higher. When you throw it, try to keep it above your hitting shoulder and a little to the front. So once you have that down, practice your hitting. Stretch your figners so that the ball will hit your palm when it first hits your hand. Keep your arm stretched as high as you can. The straighter, the better. Now, hit it is ahard as you can, but keep your arm straight and follow through. Snap your wrist after you palm makes contact.

Answer 7

try taking up another sport that makes your arms stonger.. for example i played softball during the spring.

when your serving make sure you dont throw the ball up to far throw it up just enough so when u hit it you palm/fist hits the ball it will make it go stronger.

& make sure you arent at an angle to the net

=)

Answer 8

your problem maybe your toss.make sure you are tossing the ball about the hight of your arm. another problem could be that the ball just isn't getting far enough. one thing my coach made us do before Regional Competitions was weight lifting. Try lifting at least 10lbs dumbells every day. i did this and my overhand serves were definately more powerfull.

Answer 9

so practice your toss. practice throwing it up and stepping without actually serving the ball: the ball should land right by your toe/side of your foot.

always watch the ball as it goes up. goes a long way just by looking.

take your time. if a toss isn't perfect then re-toss.

my favorite: try different way to serve the ball. some serve with a open hand like a high-five. i find my serve effective if my fingers are put together almost cupping the ball.

and another way is practice hitting the ball on the ground and having it bounce off a wall back to you. practice your arm coming down past your short/spandex aka following through. lol.

Answer 10

I'm so glad you're perservering, it is such a good skill to have! Here are some tips that might improve your technique:

1. TAKE YOUR TIME

The official rule is that you have 8 seconds to perform your serve. This is actually an eternity. Rushing your serve will only s***w up your routine, and cause you to lose serve and lose the point! So wait for the whistle!

2. CREATE A ROUTINE

Your routine is perhaps the most important aspect of your “pre-serve”.Decide how many bounces, slaps, etc. you will do before going into the serving motions.This will give you some familiarity and make your serve consistent.

This also includes knowing how far you are from the service line (“serves go over, feet don’t!”)

3. CHOOSE YOUR VICTIM

Picking a target on the floor will keep you from serving “out”.

Avoid good back row players, such as the libero as your victim. Find a possible hole on the floor (ex. in the middle of a cup formation)

4. THE TOSS

This is the most important aspect of the actual serve.

Bring the ball in both hands in front of your body.

Toss with both hands and do not toss between your legs!

5. FANCY FOOTWORK

Stand so that your feet are about shoulder width apart, with your foot the same side as your hitting arm slightly ahead of the opposite foot. Check: Are your feet/body facing your victim? Are your feet far enough from the service line?

6.THE TOSS CONTINUEDThrow the ball about 4 feet to double your height. Toss straight up- too far ahead/behind will throw off your serve.

7. CONTACTING THE BALL

Lead with your elbow.

Make solid contact on the top of the ball.

Don’t poke the ball-put some muscle into it!

NEVER, EVER fist the ball. Cast your palm as open as possible for the most surface area.

While contacting the ball, step with the foot opposite your hitting arm.

8. BODY MOVEMENTS

This will give you the most balance and propel your body.

Pull your non-hitting arm down, and let your hips twist when you hit the ball.

9. FOLLOW THROUGH

After hitting the ball, snap your wrist.

This will give you the top spin you want to make your serve difficult to receive. Drag your foot -the same side as your hitting arm-because you cannot take 2 steps.

Best of luck!

Answer 11

i had your same problem where it would go over once and then not again. but then my coach told me to make my throw more consistent and at the same height each time, and to just practice the throw before even thinking about serving. she also said to make sure that my arm goes straight and not out to the side and to punch the ball and not follow threw all the way. im gonna be in 8th grade 2 and i needed to serve overhand also and i got it last week. also practice it wen ever you have the chance.     :)

Answer 12

Well i'm in highschool right now going into 10th and I've been doing overhand since i started volleyball and what always helped me was getting my tosses up and also it helps a lot if you focuse on a "target" or the person you want to hit to usually a weaker player......hope you have as much fun as i'm having playing.

P.S. Also try building up you arm strength my practicing against a wall