The overhand serve is the next step up. Harder, faster, more aggressive. Toss the ball up, contact above the head, hit through the ball with the heel of the hand. This is the serve that scores aces.

What you need: A volleyball, a net at regulation height, open court.

Setup: Server 30 feet from the net at the back line.

How to run it:

  1. Cue: Toss, Step, Reach, Snap.
  2. Toss: ball goes straight up about 3 feet above the head, slightly in front of the body.
  3. Step: step forward with the non-hitting side foot.
  4. Reach: hitting arm extends up and back, then comes forward.
  5. Snap: contact the ball with the heel of the hand at the highest point. Hand snaps through.

What to watch: The toss. A bad toss kills the serve. Toss should be straight up, consistent every time. If the toss is bad, catch it and re-toss.

If they’re struggling: Drop to underhand. Build consistency before moving back.

If they’ve got it: Add target zones. Or move to a topspin serve (snap the wrist forward at contact for spin).