Okay, so today I decided to up my volleyball game, specifically focusing on serving. I’ve always been a bit “meh” with my serves, so I figured it was time for a dedicated practice session.
Getting Started
First things first, I grabbed my volleyball and headed out to the park. I found a nice, open grassy area – didn’t want to accidentally bean anyone with a rogue serve! I started by just getting a feel for the ball, tossing it up a few times and getting my hand-eye coordination working.
The Basic Overhand Serve
I’ve always defaulted to the basic overhand serve, so I started there. Here’s what I focused on:
- Stance: Feet shoulder-width apart, non-dominant foot slightly forward. I really tried to find a stable, balanced base.
- Toss: This is where I usually mess up. I practiced tossing the ball a little bit in front of me and high enough that I could reach it at full extension. Consistency was key, or so I tried!
- Swing: Open hand, contact the ball with the heel of my palm. I focused on snapping my wrist to get some topspin. I really tired to hit the ball,keep a follow-through with the swing.
I did a bunch of these, probably 20 or 30. Some went straight, some went sideways, some went… well, let’s just say they didn’t go far. But I kept at it, trying to make small adjustments each time. It’s super frustrating when it doesn’t click, but I reminded myself that even the pros practice like crazy.
Trying a Jump Serve (and Failing… Mostly)
Feeling a bit more confident (maybe overly so), I decided to try a jump serve. I’ve seen the pros do it, and it looks so cool! Yeah, well, it’s harder than it looks.
- Approach:I tried a quick to step toward,like I usually do when I play games.
- Toss and Jump:Here is where everything began to be out of control.I tried to keep my eyes on the ball and jump with my arm,but it seems so hard to do these things at the same time.
- Swing:I tried to swing hard like I did before,but I lost my center of gravity because of the jump.
I’m not gonna lie, most of my jump serves ended up in the net, or dribbling pathetically a few feet in front of me. It’s tough to coordinate the toss, the jump, and the swing all at once! I managed to get a few decent ones over, but it was definitely inconsistent. More practice needed, for sure.
Wrapping Up
After about an hour, I was pretty tired (and my arm was feeling it!). I finished up with a few more basic overhand serves, trying to focus on what I’d learned. Even though the jump serve was a bit of a disaster, I felt like my regular serve was a little bit more solid and consistent.
The key takeaway? Practice, practice, practice! It’s not glamorous, but it’s the only way to get better. I’m definitely going to keep working on my serving, and maybe one day I’ll actually nail that jump serve consistently. For now, I’ll stick to the basics and try not to hit anyone in the face.
