A dominating serve makes it virtually impossible for the opposing team to score points in volleyball. But to develop that in your players, you'll have to use some innovative drills to teach the proper form and technique for serving. Serving drills can help even your beginner players start serving up aces over the net.
Target Practice
It's not just important to have a strong service; you have to be accurate as well. The target practice drill helps improve your servers' accuracy during the game in a competitive way. Divide your team evenly into two teams, with each team standing along the service line. Set eight to 10 small cones in the volleyball court on each side. Each side will alternate having one player serve the ball and try to knock over or move a cone on the other side of the court. Have a coach pick up cones that have been moved or knocked over. After a player serves the ball, she moves to the back of the service line on her team. The first team to knock over all the cones on the other side of the court wins.
Serve Relay
If you want to combine an effective serving drill with some conditioning for your players, try the serve relay drill. Divide your team in half and line up the teams on either side of one service line. On the whistle, the first player in line will serve the ball over the net, then run and retrieve his serve. If the server executes an illegal serve---it hits the net or doesn't land in bounds on the other side---he must retrieve the ball and serve again. The team that's able to rotate through all its players wins.
Dead Fish
For a fun serving game that helps emphasize accuracy, try the dead fish drill. Divide your team in half and have each team on either side of the court behind the service line. Each player on both teams serves the ball over the net, taking time to focus on accuracy. If a player misses a serve, she must go to the other side of the court and lie down on the floor. The only way to get up and rejoin the team is if one of her teammates can hit any part of her body with a serve. Set a time limit for the game---two or three minutes, for example. Score one point for each successful serve, subtracted by the number of players on the floor for each team at the end of the game. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
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