Volleyball Jump Serve Training
6 Steps to Mastering the Jump Serve

Volleyball jump serve training for anyone that wants to learn how to quickly master the jump serve.

Step 1 The Contact - Volleyball Jump Serve Training

If you have already learned how to contact the ball really well, then move on to step 2.

The first thing you need to do is focus on becoming better at contacting the ball.

Practice getting a feel of what it's like to claw the ball. This means you wrap your hand over the top of the ball. 

I good way to work on contacting the ball is by practicing the standing topspin serve. This can be just topspin to a partner or wall. If you can get good at creating topspin, then you will know what it should feel like to contact the ball correctly when jump serving. 

Drill 1 - Stand in Place and Hit the ball Underhand Continuously Creating Topspin

Drill 2 - Perform a Standing Topspin Serve. Serve to a Partner, Wall, or Over the Net.

Step 2 The Footwork - Volleyball Jump Serve Training

The footwork for jump serving is the same as spiking at the net or spiking from behind the 3 meter line. The only difference is when you jump serve, you are going to broad jump and land inside the court. 

The forward momentum of the broad jump helps you create more power. 

The order of steps are important. 

The last two steps are the most important.

If you are right-handed, you want the last two steps to be right-left. 

If you are left-handed, you want the last two steps to be left-right.

Take a 3 step approach. The 2nd step should be the biggest.

Use the 2nd step to get you to the correct spot to plant to jump up off both feet.

For example, if you toss the ball further forward than you want to, you adjust by taking a bigger 2nd step. The 2nd step will determine how accurate you are to get yourself in the correct position to hit.

Drill - Take an approach with the correct order of steps. As you take the 2nd step, throw your arms back to get a double pump action. Keep the arms loose as the arms swing back. Bring the arms forward as you plant to jump. Broad jump forward focusing on getting high and raising both arms up to the sky.

Step 3 The Toss and Jump - Volleyball Jump Serve Training

Start Position

If you are right-handed, hold the ball in the right hand. Bodyweight is on the right foot with the right foot out in front.

If you are left-handed, hold the ball in the left hand. Bodyweight is on the left foot with the left foot out in front.

Toss and Approach

As you toss the ball, bodyweight is on the front foot. 

Drill - Toss the ball and take your approach as you did in step 2. Catch the ball at the height of the contact. Do this drill many times to figure out the 1) Height of the toss and 2) Placement of the ball for the best position to be in for when making contact with the ball. 

Step 4 Anticipate and Adjust - Volleyball Jump Serve Training

Practice the entire movement of the jump serve.

I'm sure you will notice how critical the toss is. If you toss too low, you will have to step faster. If you toss too high, then you need to wait before you start your approach.

If you don't toss the ball far enough out in front, then you won't be able to take a strong approach. If you toss the ball too far forward then you may not get to the ball or end up serving into the net because you can't get underneath it.

Experiment with different tosses to figure out how to toss the ball. 

The better you get at anticipating your toss, the better you will be at getting in position to hit. Practice your footwork and learn how to step faster when you need to. Learn to wait when you need to wait. 

Important Tips:

1. You may feel the ball needs to be more above the shoulder/head in order to hit the ball up and over the net. When spiking the ball at the net, you likely will contact the ball further out in front. However, the body position for contacting the jump serve is much different than the body position when spiking at the net. 

2. If your timing is good, but you still miss a lot of serves, then the problem is likely the contact. You need to develop a consistent hand contact on the ball that creates topspin. I like to think of it as "clawing" the ball. Focus on wrapping your hand over the top of the ball. You want all fingers and palm to make contact. Creating topspin will allow you to control the ball better because when the ball spins, the ball cuts straight through the air. 

Volleyball Jump Serve Training Drills

Drill 1 - Hand Contact Drills

Master creating topspin by practicing standing topspin serves. 

Drill 2 - Spike Trainer

If you have a spike training device available, then practice hitting the ball out of a spike trainer. A spike trainer is a device that holds a ball high so the athlete can take an approach to the ball and hit the ball out of the device. This teaches the athlete to reach high and always make contact with a vertical arm. Using this device has the big advantage of taking "anticipation" out of the equation. 

Drill 3 - Approaches

Practice the correct approach footwork. If your footwork is inconsistent, you'll likely be frustrated when trying to jump serve because it will be difficult to get in position without good footwork.

Drill 4 - Toss and Catch

If your tosses are all over the place, save energy and just focus on tossing the ball until you get more consistent at tossing. 

Once you get to the point of having a

1) Consistent toss

2) Consistent approach and

3) Consistent contact

you'll be well on your way to mastering the volleyball jump serve.

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