Consistent Tossing in Volleyball Is How To Improve Your Overhand Serve

Tossing in volleyball for your overhand serve needs to be consistent in height and placement in order for you to improve your volleyball serve skills. 

Consistent Tossing in Volleyball Is How To Improve Your Overhand Serve: The toss is one of the most important elements of how to serve a volleyball: (Gallery Three)

I can tell you that when you first learn how to serve a ball overhand you will underestimate the importance of tossing in volleyball.

Don't worry everyone does. 

Here's what you need to know.

Without a good consistent toss you can't serve the ball because the toss is one of the most important elements of the overhand serve.

As you learn how to serve a volleyball, you will realize that getting the ball over the net depends also on developing consistent tossing skills.  

Consistent Tossing in Volleyball: The Starting Position

The starting position for the toss for your overhand serve will be with the ball in the palm of your non serving hand.

Consistent Tossing in Volleyball: Lifting Your Straight Arm

• With your left arm pointed at your target, toss the ball no more than two to three feet in the air.
• To toss keep the ball balanced in the open palm of your hand 
• Without bending your elbow, with a straight arm lower your arm three inches then lift it with your arm stopping parallel or two inches above your shoulder
• The heel of your hand will help guide the ball into the air as it travels straight up into the air...in front of your serving  arm

Consistent Tossing in Volleyball: How To Practice your Toss

For tossing practice, while learning how to serve a ball, let the ball fall to the ground so you can see where it lands.

If you tossed the ball correctly the ball will land about 6 to 12 inches in front of your front foot.

Every time you toss the ball, if you were to let your toss fall to the ground then the ball should fall several inches in front of your front foot.

Your goal should be to toss the ball in the same way every time you serve.

If you want to become a consistent serving machine  you need to first become a consistent tossing machine and develop a toss that 

• always goes up in the same place and
• comes down in the same place

I tell my players...two feet up in the air and 10-12 inches in front of your left foot.

Let me repeat...once again your toss should be

• two feet up in the air and
• 10 - 12 inches in front of your left foot.

You should develop and use this pattern as your guide and then as you get better serving the ball you can make a few adjustments if you need to personalize your tossing technique. 

If you toss the ball to the left or the right of your front foot several things happen.

• First a ball tossed too far to either side will force you off balance.

Once you are off balance, then you will be forced to chase your tossed ball.

"Chasing your toss" means that you will have to adjust your serving arm to go chase your bad toss.

When you do this your body is no longer facing the target you intended to serve and you won't serve in the direction you are aiming for.

So guess what? 

Many players especially after they have learned how to serve a volleyball still don't realize it, but this is why the toss is where many serving errors begin.

When your toss is in front of your front foot then your toss will be in front of your serving shoulder which should then keep everything in line for you to serve the ball right where you want it to go. 

When the toss is too far to the left or right of your front foot then you are much less likely to serve the ball to your intended target.  

When the toss is too far to the left or right of your front foot then you are much less likely to serve the ball to your intended target. (Ralph Aversen)

Follow me on Instagram @coach_apchap to improve your game even faster!

I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.

Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.

If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list. 

Meet Tatoo the Tiger, Serving Specialist on VolleyBragSwag's All Beast Team

Learn these volleyball serving tips that explain how a short overhand serve to the front row positions on the court can create a problem for the opposing team.

Where do you need to go now? Here are three options: 

1. Learn more about How To Play Volleyball. 
2. Follow the suggested reading on our Sitemap page Learning How To Play (Sitemap)
3. Or visit the pages to learn more about the volleyball serve in the Related Links below.

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