How to improve my serving and better hitting!

Serving, like free throw shooting in basketball, can be a drudgery, something that coaches leave till the end of practice, almost as an afterthought. However, just like free throws, serving well is key to winning ball games. After all, serving is the only time a player has 100% control of the ball game. But serving over isn´t always enough. Most of the time, a serve must also be directed to a particular area. This drill helps players focus on pinpoint serving, offers a competitive setting, and is alot of fun. Place a chair on each side of the net, in Area 1. Divide your team into 2 squads, one on each side of the net. Have one player from each squad sit in the chair on the opposite side of the net from her team mates. Players must then serve close enough to the person in the chair that she can catch the ball in the air. Once that happens, the person serving the ball runs under the net and takes that person´s place. The person in the chair takes the ball and runs to join the servers. The new person then moves the chair to Area 2, and the game continues. On our team, we generally add a couple elements to make missing more undesirable. Whenever a player serves a ball out of bounds or into the net, all her team mates must run lines, touching the 10´ line, the end line, and center line. This is to emphasize that whenever a serve is missed, it hurts the entire team. We also go around the court twice, hitting every area twice, and ending with Area 1.


1. Hitting
Outside Hitting is a very important job! This is what usually stops the rally and scores the points! It takes a good set too! When hitting in the outside postion stand outside the court and take a three step approach make sure the last step and quick and angeled. Make sure to get a big arm swing that way you have more room and momentum! This will help you go for the kill!

2. See The Wall As It
See the Wall as it Forms This is for players with a tendency to move in too fast for their approach: On outside hitter attacks, the hitter should delay as long as you can to see the block and defense develop.

3. See the Wall as It Forms
See the Wall as it Forms Hyo-sen offers this sage advice for players who tend to move into their approach too quickly: On outside hitter attacks, the hitter should delay as long as you can to see the block and defense develop.

4. Save the Arm
Save the Arm This tip is for hitters who want to be in the game for the long haul: The best hitters in the world have told me you don’t pound everything - you get the same points for a tip or wipe, and it saves your arm for those times "when you gotta swing away."

5. Touch Tips
Touch Tips Advice for middle hitters: When hitting in the middle, practice "touch tips" which get by the blockers hands and fall within 18 inches of the net - not only does it score a point but it’s a real stake in the heart of your opponents, it forces them to cover the whole court in front of as well as behind the attack line.

6. Isolating the Arm Swing
We use a box, about 2´ tall, 3´x 3´ width and length, to allow our players´ arms to be above the net on their arm swing. This allows us to isolate just the arm and hand motions. Then, with a player on the box, we toss balls up quickly, making comments on every hit, offering suggestions and reinforcing proper execution. This allows many contacts and a great deal of opportunity for instruction without tiring the players out. We´ve noticed a great improvement in our team´s hitting skills. In fact, one player broke our school record for putaways (kills) by over 100 this season. Try it, it works.

7. Snap Your Wrist
Remember: the snap of the wrist at the end of your spike is the most important part of the hitting motion. Snapping your wrist will make it much less likely for your hit to sail out the back, because it puts a downward spin on the ball, causing it to curve toward the floor.

8. Back Row Spiking
It´s exciting to see a player go up and smash the ball from the back row, and many players can´t wait to try it themselves. But remember, it´s important that the ball go over! Hitting from the back row does no good if you powder the ball into the net. So, at least when you begin, consider getting under the ball, squaring your shoulders, arching your back and hitting the ball without leaving the floor. You can still put a surprising amount of heat on your hit, and there´s less chance of hitting it into the net. Once you´re more proficient, you can take on the task of adding a killer leap to your spiking routine.

9. Stopping Hitter´s Drift
If you have a tendency to drift forward after your hit, putting you into the net far too often, here´s an idea: Make your spiking motion against a wall. Like a field goal kicker getting their steps down in football, turn and make an approach away from the wall. This will give you the proper distance from the wall when you turn back around and make your approach toward the wall again. A few spectacular crashes into the wall will go a long way toward curing your forward drift, and teach you to go up straight!

10. When to Dink
The dink can be an effective scoring tool, but it has to be set up. Think of it in terms of football. A team generally tries a few running plays before opening up their passing game. The run sets up the pass. It´s similar in hitting. You score a couple heat shots, preferably to several different areas, which rocks defenders back on their heels, which in turn opens up your tipping game.