A good topspin volleyball serve breaks toward the court at a more pronounced angle than other serves. A skilled jump server can use sharp topspin to drop balls in front of receiving players. These serves can be difficult to reach and very difficult to pass accurately to the setter.
Step 1
Learn to recognize the spin and trajectory of topspin serves. Good volleyball teams will mix up serves to keep the receiving team off-balance. They will use float serves with a knuckling action, hit spot serves to different points of the court, and use topspin serves and topspin jump serves. You learn to read the serve through experience. "It takes thousands upon thousands of repetitions to understand and recognize the movement of a jump serve or float serve," Winthrop University assistant coach Chuck Rey says on his website.
Step 2
Move quickly to get into position to get your extended forearms and connected hands -- your passing platform -- under topspin serves. This requires "smooth, balanced footwork to the point where you will intercept the flight of the volleyball," Rey says.
Step 3
Get into a low passing position to play the topspin serve. Bend your knees, drop your hips toward the ground and get into a deep squatting position. You can drop to one knee to get in the low passing position. On the left side of the court, drop the right knee. On the right side, drop the left knee.
Step 4
Bump the ball with your passing platform parallel to the floor.
Step 5
Use team exercises like the triangle knee passing drill (see Resources) to polish your ability to pass the ball out of a low passing position. Develop a feel for passing topspin serves through lots of repetitions. Learn "the 'touch and feel' of the platform push and body weight transfer," Rey advises.
Tips and Warnings
- The closer you are to the net, the more parallel your passing platform should be to the floor. The closer you are to the sidelines, the greater your platform angle should be to the setting target.
- Don't swing your arms at the ball.
Things You'll Need
- Volleyball
- Volleyball court
- Teammates or coaches
Member Comments