Serving can feel like a lot to think about when you're new to indoor beach volleyball. Where do you stand? How do you get the ball over? Can it touch the net?
Start with the rules, then choose a serving action that suits your confidence and ability. You don't need to begin with an overhand serve if you're struggling to get it across. Here's how to approach serving at Ossie, from your first underhand attempt to adding placement and variety as you develop.
First, know Ossie's serving rules
These are the local serving rules for indoor beach volleyball at Ossie. Learn them before working on your technique.
Serve from inside the service box
The service area is a 1.5 m square in the far back-right corner, bounded by the right-side and back walls. For a standing serve, stay inside this box while serving. Advanced jump servers may leave the box in the air and land outside it, provided their feet take off from inside the box.
Release the ball before you hit it
The ball must leave your holding hand before your striking hand makes contact. You don't have to throw it upwards, but you cannot hit it while you're still holding it.
Know which nets the ball can touch
Neither your toss nor the served ball may touch the side, top or back boundary nets. Your serve must land in the court.
The middle net is different: the served ball may touch the middle net on its way over. Don't confuse that with permission to touch the boundary nets during a serve.
Receiving takes at least two team touches
The receiving team cannot send the serve straight back over the middle net on its first touch. It needs at least two team touches before returning the ball over.
Try an underhand serve
If getting an overhand serve across the net feels difficult, start with an underhand serve. Choose the action for what you can comfortably manage, rather than feeling you have to use a particular technique.
Try an AFL-style motion, releasing the ball a fraction of a second before you strike it. It cannot be a handpass made while the ball is still held.
- Hold the ball in your non-dominant hand. Your dominant hand will do the striking.
- Make a fist with your dominant hand.
- Strike underhand, just below the ball's halfway line. This gives the ball an upward trajectory to help it get up and over the middle net.
If your serve keeps going too low
A serve that falls short or goes into the middle net may need more power, a different angle or a change in release timing. There isn't one correction for every attempt.
Check these two things first:
- Is the ball dropping too far? If you release it and let it fall too far before the upward strike, your serve can go low.
- Are you contacting too high on the ball? Aim for just below its halfway line, rather than higher up.
Think about getting your swing a bit under the ball to help it travel upwards and over.
When you're ready, try overhand
An overhand serve is another option if it suits your ability and confidence.
Hold the ball fairly high in your non-dominant hand. Toss it up a little, in a motion similar to starting a tennis serve, then strike it with your dominant hand using an open palm.
Overhand serving can give you more placement control, with contact closer to net height. Choose it when it suits your confidence and ability; underhand remains a useful option.
The same serving rules apply whichever action you choose.
Developing your serve: float or topspin?
Once you're comfortable with the basics, float and topspin serves give you different options. The distinction is how the ball spins and travels, not simply how hard you hit it.
Float: little or no spin
A float serve aims for little or no spin and can move unpredictably through the air, making its flight difficult to read.
Use a flat, firm hand, contacting the middle of the ball with the middle of your hand. The aim is clean contact without adding spin.
Once that contact becomes consistent, develop your range through different directions, trajectories and distances. Think about where the ball is going as well as whether it floats.
Topspin: a different flight
Topspin produces a different flight: the ball's rotation can give it a curved trajectory and a sharp drop.
For now, recognise the contrast: float aims to minimise spin, while topspin uses rotation. You don't need to add a jump to start learning about these options.
Vary the location and style
Some more advanced players might favour hard topspin serves, while others use float serves. A soft, short serve just over the middle net is another option to bring receivers closer to it.
Varying both location and style can keep the opposition from getting comfortable receiving the same thing. Choose a target and think about changing the destination, depth or style of your serve. At Ossie, placement starts from the same local service box.
You don't need every serve type to start thinking about placement. As your control develops, consider whether you're repeatedly sending the same ball to the same area. Variation can be about destination as well as spin or power.
Keep the basics clear
Choose the serving action that suits you, then work on getting the ball up, over and into the court. As your control develops, explore different targets and styles. There's room to build from a simple underhand serve without rushing into every advanced option.
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