The serve is not simply an introduction into the rally. It is a critical opportunity for you and your team to earn a point. An effective serve can turn an opposing team's offense on its head allowing your team the opportunity to easily block an attack or to have an easy ball to dig. A good serve in conjunction with a strong defense can be incredibly effective.
Serving is one area where doing your homework before the game is especially important. As the server you should be able to choose the weakest passer on the opposing team. The only way to effectively do this is to scout the team beforehand. By targeting the weaker passer, you increase the likelihood for an ace or for the ball to be passed away from the setter. It is impossible for a setter to run an effective offense if he is forced to chase the ball around the court.
To ensure proper placement of the serve it is crucial that coaches give instructions to their servers. A coach generally has more time to scout the opposing teams and learn their weaknesses and their patterns. Most teams have one or two rotations in which they are particularly weak. Each player should look to their coach before serving for instruction on the area to which they should serve. Similarly, if you have an effective jump serve it is not sufficient for your coach to simply tell you to jump serve and get it in. Even while jump serving, you should choose a specific target.
Tips
- Choose a specific target when serving.
- Make your serve as difficult to pass as possible. Do not simply try to get it in the court.
- Adjust to defense immediately after you serve.
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