How To Teach Overhead Serves to Juinor Players.

Here's How:

1. Position (6-8 feet off the endline) - Move the server back behind the endline about 6 feet (2 meters or so). How can this help? Well, this not only eliminates foot fouling, but also removes the mental barrier which unconsciously lingers in a server’s mind, which is to stop when the serve reaches the endline to keep from foot-fouls. But we don’t want servers to stop: we want them to swing through and dash to their position on the court. Instead of thinking "Stop," they must be thinking "GO."
2. Posture, left foot pulled back (right foot for a lefty) - Have the right handed server plant her RIGHT foot forward. Then, as she tosses, she steps at the same time with her LEFT foot. Now, her entire body is moving with forward momentum toward the far court. Guess what? Without any great refinement on the toss and contact of the ball, the server will see an immediate increase in distance, because the laws of physics demand that greater force makes the object go further.
3. Aim for a target; while holding the ball with both hands at chest level.
4. Breath deeply.
5. Step with the left foot in the direction of the intended target, with hips swiveled bit to the right; (opposite for a left-hander) - Won't that give away my serve direction? A step with the left foot does not immediately give away the desired placement of the serve to the opposition, since they are usually watching the ball (which is why coaches ought to train their receivers to watch the server’s foot!).
6. Toss in one fluid motion, thinking "Nose to Toes;" and keeping your eyes on the ball - Another objection is that the one-step will mess up the toss. Let’s consider the toss: most beginning servers toss too low and too far, so I have found that beginners gain more control on the toss using both hands and releasing the ball at about eye level. Furthermore, the conventional wisdom of a low toss may work with experienced servers, but beginners need to make a good 8-10 foot upward toss.
7. Cock the hitting arm back with elbow high and thumb down (the archery position).
8. Contact the ball high with the palm shaped around the ball (middle of palm to middle to ball), following through the swing toward the intended target.
9. Go to your position, ready to play

Tips:

1. I have heard, "we must eliminate any excess motion where errors may happen." True enough, but what’s better: a serve which dies at the attack line, or one that clears the net? The step also helps to direct the ball in the desired direction, as the arm swing tends to follow the path of the lead foot.
2. Starting with a planted lead foot may limit the intended aim, as the server would have to swing across the body in a rather unnatural motion. A step with the left foot does not immediately give away the desired placement of the serve to the opposition, since they are usually watching the ball (which is why coaches ought to train their receivers to watch the server’s foot!).
3. It’s much easier to adjust to an errant high toss than even a good low one. Besides, we teach servers to contact the ball with a high swing, which is mighty hard to do with a low toss.
4. But if they take an extra step, will they not tend to toss the ball out too far? Perhaps at first, but I have devised a little poem which helps to insure an up and in toss. It’s called, "Nose to Toes," and that’s the entire poem. The idea is to toss the ball in a straight line in front of the nose so that the ball would drop to the floor just in front to the lead toes; thus, "Nose to Toes."
5. Coaches actually know we want the toss to be more on a line between the hitting shoulder and hitting side knee, but Shoulder to Knee doesn’t rhyme, whereas, "Nose to Toes" has the same desired effect. See if that helps.