Okay, so today I decided to work on my volleyball serving. Specifically, I wanted to improve my jump serve, which has been pretty inconsistent lately. Here’s how it went down:
Warm-up
First things first, I had to warm up. I started with some light cardio, you know, just jogging around the court a few times to get the blood flowing.
Then, I did some dynamic stretches like arm circles, leg swings, and torso twists. Gotta make sure those muscles are loose and ready to go, avoiding injures is a must.
Practice the Toss
The toss is everything, right? I spent a good chunk of time just practicing my toss. No jumping, no hitting, just tossing.
- I tried to get a consistent height and placement, aiming for slightly in front of me and a little to my right (I’m right-handed).
- I must have tossed the ball a hundred times,I was really focusing on that smooth, upward motion from my hand.
Approach and Jump
Once I felt okay-ish about my toss, I started working on my approach and jump. This is where things can get tricky.
- I used a four-step approach, starting slow and then exploding into the jump.
- I really concentrated on timing my jump with the toss, trying to meet the ball at the peak of my jump. The hardest part.
Contacting The Ball
Making solid contact is key. At the beginning, the ball went to every corner of the gym.
- I aimed to hit the ball with an open hand, contacting it slightly above the center and wrapping my fingers around it to impart topspin.
- I experimented with different contact points to see how it affected the ball’s trajectory.
Putting It All Together
Finally, I put it all together – toss, approach, jump, and hit. It wasn’t pretty at first! Lots of shanks, missed hits, and balls sailing out of bounds.
- I kept adjusting my toss, my approach, and my contact point, making small tweaks each time.
- Slowly but surely, I started to get a feel for it. My serves were becoming more consistent, with more power and topspin.
Cool Down
After about an hour and a half, I was pretty tired. I finished up with some static stretches, holding each stretch for about 30 seconds.
This help the muscles, it’s always good to be gentle with your own body.
Overall, it was a productive practice session. My jump serve still needs work, but I definitely saw some improvement today. I’ll keep practicing and hopefully, I’ll be crushing those serves in no time!
