The Five Basic Skils of Volleyball

Anyone aspiring to become a volleyball player must be able to master the five basic skills of volleyball: serving, passing, setting, spiking and blocking. Nobody, except for the libero, may be called an excellent volleyball player unless he masters all of these five skills.


SERVING

Although usually overlooked, serving is a very important part of the play. As a matter of fact, each play starts with the serve and as such it is defined as: putting the ball into play. Serving is the only part of the game that you have total control of so it is necessary to master it and use it as a tool to win games.

There are lots of serves being used in the game nowadays but this post will discuss only three of those: the floater, the top-spinner and the jump serve. Each of these will be explained in terms of the toss, the hit and the follow through.


The Floater
This type of serve is highly unpredictable, such that even the server won't know exactly where it is going. Since it is highly unpredictable it is very difficult to pass and it could easily disrupt your opponents attack.

• Toss. Toss the ball to the front of the hitting shoulder. The toss should be done in such a way that if the ball is allowed to fall to the ground untouched, it passes just about one foot in front of the hitting shoulder. The server should also make every effort not to impart any spin on the ball.
• Hit. The ball must be hit at the center part using the heel of the hand. The contact area and contact time must be reduced as much as possible to make the ball float. The wrist should not be flicked to avoid the spin.
• Follow-through. The follow-through should be short to avoid the spinning motion of the ball.

There are three keys to a successful floater: spin-less ball, high ball speed, and a very low trajectory. Focus on these three areas as you practice doing the floater.

The Spinner
The spinner is a ball served with a top-spinning motion and it is called as such. It may be driven faster and harder than the floater. However, it is more predictable. Here is how you may execute the spinner.

• Toss. The volleyball should be tossed higher as compared to the toss for the floater. Giving the ball a slight spin during the toss makes it easier to achieve the spin motion during the serve.
• Hit. The target for the spinner is the upper center portion of the volleyball. Just after the hand strike the ball, flick the wrist to achieve the spinning motion.
• Follow-through. The follow through for this serve should be longer. The arm may be extended until the hand is level with the shoulder.

The Jump Serve
The jump serve could be a floater or a spinner that is done with the jumping motion of the server. It is the most difficult to execute but also the most difficult to receive due to the high speed that may be imparted on the ball. 

• Toss. It must always be put in mind that the server has to jump before hitting the ball so the height of the toss must be adjusted accordingly.
• Hit. The hit must be done in a manner similar to that of a back row hit. The ball must be given a slight upward trajectory to make sure that it clears the net and also to avoid hitting the backs of the teammates.
• Follow-through. The follow through depends upon the effect that is desired. To recall, a short follow through results in a floater, while a long one gives the server a spinner.

Some Important Points

1. Always have the team's serving philosophy in mind. Here are some possible goals: to attempt for an ace; to disrupt opponent's offense; to show some "muscles"; or simply to make sure the ball goes to the opponent's court.
2. Try to find holes in the opponent's court and exploit it. Some teams may have a certified weak passer. You may even exploit that player's weakness by intentionally looking at him before you serve. Also, other teams leave wide areas that when attacked may confuse the receivers.
3. Try to limit the opponent's offense through the serve. You may limit the other teams offense by: baiting the setter to take the first ball; sending the ball to zone 1 for a harder set; or giving the first ball to the quick-hitter to discourage the other team from doing quick plays.
4. Use only the serve that you have practiced well. Giving the opponent a point off your wrong service is too lousy. The serve is the only part of the game that you may perform without any obstruction from the opponent and also without a difficulty caused by a teammate. 

Passing will be discussed on the next post.