We must have seen someone do an overhand serve very smoothly. Apart from being a type of serve that has many functions, the overhand serve is also quite difficult to do. In doing overhand serve, coordination, timing, and strength are needed. Because of the high level of difficulty, you must master the underhand serve first before learning the overhand serve. Even if you don't look proficient, you will improve your accuracy, speed, and serving power.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Performing a Basic Overhand Serve
Step 1. Relax your legs
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place the foot opposite the hitting hand in front of the other foot. Your shoulders and hips should be in line with the net. Make sure your knees are bent. Your weight should rest on your back leg.
Server posture is very important in serving. The strength used in serving does not come from the upper body, but from the legs. Strong serve results from good weight transfer from the back foot to the front foot. Getting a strong starting posture is very important in making a strong serve
Step 2. Hold the ball in front of you
Place your non-dominant hand directly in front of you, straight but keeping your elbows flexible. Palms facing up with the ball on top.
You can also place your batting hand on the ball
Step 3. Prepare your batting hand
Swing your batting arm back until it's at the side of your head. Make sure your elbows are facing up and your palms are near your ears. Your body will open with this attitude.
Step 4. Throw the ball in the air
Lift the ball with your hands about 45-90 cm in the air. Keep the ball straight at your bat's shoulder and a step in front of your body so you can step up when serving. Your batting hand forms a 90-degree angle behind your body. Remember, hit the ball right after it changes direction and starts falling down.
- Don't throw the ball too high, low, or far. You will have to chase the ball and the result is a bad serve.
- The batting hand may be prepared when the ball is thrown, and not before.
Step 5. Aim for your serve using your body
Most of the power of the serve comes from transferring weight from the back foot to the front foot. To do this, make sure the starting position of the serve is correct. Add momentum by stepping forward while serving with your dominant foot. And move your weight forward for a powerful serve.
The ball will hit where your hands and toes are, so aim for the serve with your hands and toes
Step 6. Hit the ball with the base of the palm of your dominant hand
Bring your dominant hand forward with your elbow. Hit the ball with the base of your bat. Do not hit the ball with your fingers or fist. Make sure your batting hand is slightly angled up so that the ball can be carried over the net. Aim for the center of the ball to get the straightest ball trajectory. Stop the movement of the hand when the ball has been hit.
- Watch the ball spin. If the ball rolls sideways or backwards, it means that your shot missed the center of the ball.
- Starting at the shoulders, swing the punches quickly.
Step 7. Immediately take a position
After hitting the ball, use the momentum to run to your defensive position.
Method 2 of 3: Performing a Top-Spin Jump Serve
Step 1. Prepare the initial stance
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and facing the net. Your dominant hand should be directly in front of your body, palm facing up, with the volleyball on it.
Step back 1.5-2.5 meters behind the line to allow enough room for 3-4 steps forward
Step 2. Throw the ball in the air
Step forward with your dominant foot and keep your pitch straight with your hitting shoulder. As you step forward, throw the ball high and slightly forward into the air. Flick your wrist as you throw the ball to give it a spin.
Consistent throws result in consistent serves. The throw of the ball will determine the result of the service; A bad throw can ruin a good serve. Throw the ball with your dominant hand, keeping the ball in front of you, and don't throw it too high, low or far. All of these things can damage your service
Step 3. Take three to four quick steps forward
Start slowly and then get faster, so that the last two steps happen so quickly that they seem to be happening simultaneously. In the final step, launch yourself to jump. Use the momentum from the previous steps to jump high into the air.
If your right hand is dominant, your step sequence is left-right-left. If left handed, the order is right-left-right. The last two steps are also called "step close" and are the most explosive part of the serve
Step 4. Prepare your batting hand
Both hands must swing back to power the jump. As you jump, swing your bat behind your body at a 90-degree angle. Just like a basic overhand serve, elbows should be pointing up, wrists firm and close to the ears. The hand that is not hitting the ball must point and aim at the ball.
The movement of tracing the ball with a hand that does not hit is also known as the bow and arrow movement
Step 5. Learn how to hit the ball
Aim slightly up from the center of the ball. Unlike the basic overhand serve, don't stop your hand after hitting the ball. Do a full swing and flick your wrist.
Practice the flick of your wrist. The flick of the wrist makes the top-spin serve very strong and unique. Practice wrist flicks and correct ball strokes to send the ball over the net
Step 6. Hit the ball
Generate forward momentum by twisting your hips and torso during the serve. You must jump deep into the court on both jump serve and jump float. At the highest point of the jump, lower your hands in a flicking motion toward the bottom of the ball. That way, the ball can be aimed up, but wrap the wrist above it, for a serve that dives down. This is how it generates topspin.
If your right hand is dominant, then guide with your left hip and shoulder. Then smash with the right hip followed by the right hand
Method 3 of 3: Performing a Jump Float Serve
Step 1. Prepare the ball
Start with the ball in both hands, straight in front of you. Hold the ball between your palms. Keep both elbows straight, but relaxed.
There are different ways to throw the ball in jump serving. Some people use their dominant hand, some don't, and some even use both hands. What matters is the effectiveness of the throw, not the method of the throw
Step 2. How to throw the ball
Step forward with your dominant foot, then take three quick steps. In the final step, throw the ball up and slightly forward. The ball is simply thrown 30-45 cm in the air, like a basic overhand serve.
- The throw of the ball prepares for the entire serve. Make sure the throw is not too high or low. The ball is thrown by your strongest hand, and the ball must stay in front of you.
- Practice your throwing until you're good at it. Practice throwing the ball for a few hours to get the technique right.
Step 3. How to jump
Right after the ball is thrown, jump up in the next step with the momentum gained. Bring your batting arm back with your elbows facing up and your palms near your ears.
Step 4. How to hit the ball
Guided by the elbow, hit the ball with the base of the dominant hand as in a basic overhand serve. The wrist must be firm. After hitting the ball, stop your palms towards the target.
- Aim at your opponent's dead point. The opponent must move to take the ball. When practicing overhand serve, learn how to hit the serve to a place that is difficult for your opponent to reach.
- Make sure the jump is done before crossing the court line. Land across the field line.
Tips
- After being thrown, do not chase the ball. Wait for the ball to fall at the right moment to hit.
- There will be a loud buzzing sound if the service is performed correctly.
- Practice, practice and practice. Do not expect to be able to immediately master this service because the level of difficulty is quite high. Throw the ball, throw height and approach to serve are important elements that must be mastered in the practice of overhand serve.
- Momentum can be very helpful especially if you have a small body. It takes a lot of energy to send the ball over the net.
- If you're having trouble practicing your serve, try practicing your throw instead. If the ball is tossed and allowed to fall, it should fall directly in front of your right foot. A good throw is crucial to a good serve.
- If your throw is bad, catch the ball. Don't hit a bad throw because you'll lose control and miss the serve.
- Just throw the ball as high as your hand, so as not to lose control and fail.
- In the game, if you catch the ball it will count as a serve, and the serve cannot be repeated. If your throw is bad, just let the ball drop and repeat your serve.
- Once the ball is thrown and it turns out to be a bad throw, let the ball fall because if it is caught it will count as a serve.
- Let the ball with the bad throw fall. If caught will count as a service!
- If your hand is too far from your head when you hit the ball, throw it a little more to avoid injuring yourself.
