Serving is a unique volleyball skill. It's the only time when players have the ball completely under their control. In the following sequence, Phil Eatherton of the U.S. national team is demonstrating the proper technique for hitting a float serve.

Preparation is key to having a great serve. The process is as much mental as physical. Taking the time to compose yourself and focus your mind can help you develop a serve that will help your team score points.

Each time you get ready to serve, you should follow a consistent sequence before tossing the ball. This ritual can be as simple as tossing the ball from one hand to the other or as complicated as bouncing it on the floor and placing the valve on a specific spot on your hand. Whatever ritual you use, be sure to follow it each time you serve. Players who take their time generally have better serves because they're more mentally focused.

Once the ritual is complete, Phil brings the ball up into the starting position. He may have been given a signal from the coach to serve in a specific area. By glancing at the opponent's side of the court, Phil can decide where he wants to serve. The ball should start in the hand opposite the striking arm, and it should rest on the fingertips of that hand. The body is weighted on the back foot.

Phil's eyes are focused on the spot where he'll contact the ball. He'll face the area he wants to serve and mentally focus on where he wants the ball to go.

Phil starts the serving motion by bringing the striking arm back with the elbow in a high position. At the same time, as the arm comes back, he lifts the ball up and releases it. To insure the most controlled toss, the tossing hand shouldn't drop below below the waist. Young players often bring the ball down too low, resulting in a toss that isn't controlled or consistent. The ball should be tossed high enough to allow the player to reach and make a high contract. It shouldn't be so high that the server has to wait for it to come down.

As the ball reaches the peak of the toss, the player takes a stride to get the body moving forward. The elbow remains higher than the shoulder and is drawn back as the server rotates the shoulders back with the arm. By tossing the ball in the front of his body, Phil is able to generate momentum that he'll use to hit the ball. Without a strong stride, it's often hard to generate enough power to drive the ball over the net. Some players use a step and a stride to help create more power.

Here Phil is rotating his whole body and arm to generate the power needed to hit the ball hard. His elbow is still in the high position but now has rotated to lead the hand. His hand remains in a solid position. It's important not to rotate the hand because that might cause a mis-hit. Notice how the ball is still in front of Phil's body so the momentum he is generating in the stride can be continued into the contact of the ball.

Phil has his eyes focused on the contact spot on the back of the ball. He has kept it far enough in front of his body that he'll be able to use the momentum he created with his stride to add power to the serve. The position is good for making contact slightly on the underside of the ball. As he drives his hand hard into the ball, he'll abruptly stop it. This creates a float effect by keeping the ball from spinning. If players are having trouble with the ball spinning off their hand, they may need to focus on keeping the hand solid and the wrist stiff until after the ball leaves the hand.

When Phil is making his stride, he wants to have the ball over his right shoulder. His hand is solid and in line with his arm. As his right arm extends to the ball, he pulls his left arm down along his side while rotating his shoulders into the ball. His hand will follow through until he has made solid contact and then stop sharply. If his hand remains in a constant position on contact, the ball won't spin.

This photo shows the perfect contact. The solid part of the hand is hitting a spot slightly below the center of the ball. As contact is made, the hand is solid and not turning. By driving hard into the ball, Phil will actually push his hand into it. This contact displaces air inside the bladder and helps the float serve move. If players are skilled enough to have good control, they can learn to make the ball move laterally. This is done by hitting slightly on the right or left side of the ball's center. If the ball is hit on the right side, it usually breaks to the left. If hit on the left, it breaks to the right.

FINAL THOUGHTS

A great serve may not always be an ace. If you can put the opponent into a situation that helps your team score, then it's a good serve. Work on serving short; a well-placed short serve can take the other team and individual players out of their offense and give your team an advantage. Experiment and learn how to make the ball break the way you want. With practice and concentration anyone can develop a killer float serve.