Need Advice on Jump Serves
Ivan L. Chong
I need advice on improving a jump-serve.
I play mostly 2-man on sand. I've been been practicing
a new jump serve for a couple months now. My partner's
got a pretty good jump serve and has been helping me
out a lot.
I was wondering if anyone else has any advice for me on
how I can improve my jump-serve.
I'm open to general advice, or any answers to the
following questions:
For those of you who regularly employ a jump-serve,
how high do you usually toss the ball?
what kind of spin do you put on the toss?
where do you toss the ball (out in front, behind, to the
side, etc.)?
what do you do to generate more pace on your serve?
After I started using a jump serve, I was surprised that
my serve was much more consistent. I had always found it
difficult to serve my floater deep without hitting it out.
With the jump-serve, I find that I can contact the ball
harder, generate more top-spin, and have a higher probability
of keeping the ball in the court. On the other hand, I'm
still having problems generating pace with my jump-serve.
I find that I can easily get more pace with a normal serve
(although I find it harder to control it).
-Ivan
Mike Mulvaney
I usually toss the ball kind of low because I don't want to get it blown
around by the wind. Toss it as high as you need to to aproach and hit it
at the peak of your jump. It also depends on when in your approach you
toss the ball: If you toss it, then run a long way, and then jump to hit
it, you will have to throw it higher. You will also write run on
sentences. On the other hand, if your toss is integrated into your
approach so that you toss-jump-swing rather quickly, don't throw it so
high.
> what kind of spin do you put on the toss?
I put top spin on it because I throw with my right and hit with my right.
If you toss with both hands, you will probably not want to put any spin
on it when you toss.
> where do you toss the ball (out in front, behind, to the
> side, etc.)?
You have to toss it in front of you so you can hit it after some kind of
approach. Remember, you will be running towards the court as you serve.
Some players use an exaggerated sideways approach, but this is usually
not a good idea as you limit your options.
> what do you do to generate more pace on your serve?
Run faster, get confidence, just hit it harder. If you have pace on your
spikes and float serves, you should be able to do it on your jump serve.
Remember: Placement is just as important as power.
I hope this helps alittle. The only way to really learn is practice.
na...@sketchgrowl.com
Basic answer: Train your legs for explosive jumping. Note that explosive jumping, like what you need for dunking a basketball, is not the same as the jumping you’d do for skipping rope, for example.
When it comes to the actual training, there are myriad programs, systems and recommendations out there, so I’ll make my advice general and simple for you.
Practice jumping explosively. Play b-ball and jump for the rim. Box jumps. Hurdles.
Train your legs for explosion in the weight room, with lifts (squat, deadlift, calf raises, etc) that utilize heavy weight that is heavy enough to challenge you but not so heavy that you can’t move it explosively.
Train your upper body for explosion. Dunking is not just in the legs.
You need your arms and core activated as well for it. If you were to jump really high right now without a ball, notice how you use your arms to propel you upward. You can simulate this in training with medicine ball tosses straight up in the air (probably donthis outside, and watch out for he falling ball!).
Train for speed. In b-ball, you’ll often be running before your dunk attempt; the more speed you can build up, the harder and higher you can explode (thibknof an airplane on a runway, for example). Jumping rope helps train for speed and quickness. You can do sprints with a speed parachute strapped to your waist (one of my favorites for speed training). Same for a weighted vest. Sprint up inclines like hills, bridges and treadmills in high inclines and stair master machines.
Make your body aerodynamic. In other words, be in shape. Don’t be on the court with a beer gut, wondering why you can’t jump high. Reduce body fat and build lean muscle. Simplest ways: Eat right (use your best judgement at the dinner table), reduce/eliminate processed food intake (google these if you need help) as much as possible, drink lots of water (not juice and not sports drinks — just water). Make your body look like what you’d call an “explosive athlete”.
Take care of your body otherwise. No alcohol or illicit drugs. Get ample rest (8+ hours sleep daily).
All that should be a good start. For specific programs, see:
- Vert Shock by Adam Folker: vertshockbb.nabillionaire.com
- The Jump Manual by Jacob Hiller: jumpmanualbb.nabillionaire.com