1. By Any Other Name, Still the Same Pass
In volleyball lingo, you will hear the overhead pass called many names. It depends on what part of the country you are in or even what country you live in. It may even change depending on what court in your town you are using. The "overhand pass" is in reference to the part of the hand that touches the ball--the thumb, first and second fingers of the hand. The "face pass" refers to the location of the ball when the player taps it--directly over the face. The last name for the overhead pass is the "chest pass," which refers to the area of the body where you seem to "launch" the ball from.
2. Don't Hold on
If you do the overhead pass and the ref calls you for holding, be sure you've got the technique down correctly. Change up your stance a little by spreading your hands a bit farther apart to be sure your palms do not touch the ball. Spread your fingers apart--this ensures contact with the ball. Keep the contact with the ball at a minimum; you are only tapping this pass to a teammate to make the set. The first and second joints are all that should come in contact with the ball.
3. Go in the Right Direction
If you have problems with the ball not going in the right direction, try repositioning yourself. The overhead pass requires your shoulders to be square with the intended target. Also, be sure each hand does the same amount of work. Don't push harder with one than the other, or you might even have one hand farther on the ball than the other one. Get a coach to watch your technique and refine it as necessary.
4. Getting the Lift
If you don't have enough lift on the ball, try more bend in your knees. This creates more spring and better movement on the ball. Be sure to use your whole body with this pass and fully extend your arms and legs. The more spring, the better lift power and movement. You might also try shifting your weight a bit forward to "launch" the ball.
5. Don't Take the Ball for a Spin
If you are having trouble with spin on the ball after completing the pass, most likely it rolled off your hands. Contact the ball with one motion, rather than making a rocking motion. Remember, the overhead pass is a sort of launching pass. You launch it to the setter, the setter sets it up and the hitter drives it home. Your job is just to launch it out to the setter.
