Think I found my topspin! But...

jeremylbuck · **Think I found my topspin! But... -** 11-20-2006, 02:29 PM

Hey Hey,

I've been abusing the float a little too much lately because I have *issues* with topspin. --Me thinks it's related to all of my youth and highschool days pitching baseballs.

Anyways, a couple of days ago I started really focusing on technique and I've actually been able to get decent topspin on the ball. One problem I can foresee tho' is when I go to "snap my wrist" I also snap my elbow... surely this will result in injury.

I still must be doing something wrong

.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated...

coachmanzi · 11-20-2006, 04:38 PM

I'd say lay off the topspin serve. It's so much easier to pass and dig. Especially since that's all i get served. The float has unpredictability to it, whereas the top-spin you know is going to drop. Work on your floater placement. that's the hard one..

BHitterDPasser · 11-20-2006, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coachmanzi

I'd say lay off the topspin serve. It's so much easier to pass and dig. Especially since that's all i get served. The float has unpredictability to it, whereas the top-spin you know is going to drop. Work on your floater placement. that's the hard one..

Sure the Barry Zito 12-6 floater is nice to have but wouldn't you promote throwing another pitch in the arsenal?

coachmanzi · 11-21-2006, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BHitterDPasser

Sure the Barry Zito 12-6 floater is nice to have but wouldn't you promote throwing another pitch in the arsenal?

yea, but it's pretty predictable. Especially if it's a different type of serve and how they telegraph their serve. Floaters are pretty hard to read, especially from my part as a libero. If it is served hard enough, it's pretty damn hard to control. My only problem with a big jump serve is keeping it on my side and giving the other team an over pass.

that's my $.02

mycena · 11-21-2006, 08:52 AM

I think it also depends on the level of play someone is at too.

DougHillman · 11-21-2006, 01:40 PM

I agree with manzi. As a setter, I don't pass a lot, but gimme a basic topspin overhand or even a ripped topspin jump serve any day. I'll pass nails with those. It's the dead floaters with no spin that bring out the shanks.

Experience has shown that this is true for most players at a highish level. I've got a coupla bombers on my team. They may end up with a few more aces than me throughout the course of a tournament, but when you look at the fact that they only have about a 70 - 75% serving ratio and that the majority of the serves which make it over result in a money pass instead of an ace, I just don't see the benefit. Particularly when I serve up near 99% (maybe missing 1 or 2 in a tournament) and even if I don't get an outright shank ace, I get more poor passes which make the setter work & run a predictable offense.

jeremylbuck · 11-25-2006, 02:17 PM

Wow!

I appreciate the advice guys. I wasn't expecting to be told to keep working the floater!

My initial desire was like BHitter said to "add another pitch to the arsenal".

I do agree though I myself have far less problems passing a topspin than a floater.

-Jeremy

F-100 · 03-12-2007, 10:35 PM

I think ill have to go with the floater. Me being new to volleyball, well not really, the last time i played was in middle school but thats a totally different world compared to high school. Well i just joined my schools volleyball team in my senior year, first time, and they put me as libero. I do say that top spin are pretty easy to control, i still have to work on my reading but when you get in the right position its easy to control. I also wanted a top spin serve and jump serve, but in the last game(first two district games) my friends have been saying that i serve real well(the floaty crazy one), and i was like wth, arent top spin better. Then they explained to me. When they go over they go a bit mad crazy, you literally see it going from side to side at a fast pace. Thus being hard to pass.

volleyballstud · 03-13-2007, 09:49 AM

Topspin is a great serve outdoors against the wind. I think placement is more important than spin.

As for technique... I've always believed that follow through is more important than snap.

OmniSpiker · 05-29-2007, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremylbuck

Hey Hey,

I've been abusing the float a little too much lately because I have *issues* with topspin. --Me thinks it's related to all of my youth and highschool days pitching baseballs.

Anyways, a couple of days ago I started really focusing on technique and I've actually been able to get decent topspin on the ball. One problem I can foresee tho' is when I go to "snap my wrist" I also snap my elbow... surely this will result in injury.

I still must be doing something wrong

.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated...

Snapping technique should always be emphasized at elbow for power, but one should not snap lock their elbow. The technique is called extension on the arm and serves it's purpose mainly for spiking, although a person may opt to use it for serving too.

Mastery of the floater serve is good and works on most occasions. Putting high pace on a ball requires topspin to keep it in the court. With the correct angle and extension of the hitting arm, some players can bomb a floater at will, while the majority of players can only watch in awe.