College volleyball showcases the acrobatics of attackers flying through the air, arms cocked for a cobra-like strike down on the ball. Olympic beach volleyball provides striking imagery of lithe, tanned athletes digging the ball with a forearm hit just before it hits the sand. The underhand in volleyball is little seen at such top levels, but it remains a valid skill for players starting out or for those recovering from injury.
Significance
If you've learned volleyball just as part of family reunions, beach visits or gym class, you probably learned the underhand serve. This is the easiest type of serve in volleyball, writes college coach Cecile Reynaud in "Coaching Volleyball: Technical and Tactical Skills." It is usually taught to beginners who don't yet have the strength to serve the ball with an overhand motion.
Steps
The underhand serve requires you to take a position along the end line, facing the target, with your feet shoulder-width apart and the ball in the palm of your nondominant hand. Swing your dominant hand back and bend your dominant knee as you hold the ball at hip level. Your wrist swings forward to contact the ball and send it over the net. Aim your arm just over the net so that your follow-through guides the ball as you swing your weight forward over the nondominant foot.
Expert Insight
A coach can correct common errors seen in young athletes learning the underhand serve. You might face the wrong way and need to be coached to get your feet, hips and shoulders square to the target, Reynaud says. If you place the wrong foot forward, you lose power and need to realign your feet. The toss can be fine-tuned so it is in line with your hitting shoulder just before contact. Increase your arm swing speed and the forward shift of your weight to increase power.
Illegal Carry
Another kind of underhand contact is illegal in volleyball. You cannot contact the ball during a rally underhanded with two open palms, although this move was permitted before the modern era of power volleyball. The referee can call a carry, which is illegal, for underhand carrying of the ball. In indoor or beach volleyball, you can use one hand as long as you do not carry the ball.
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