Roundhouse Serve

Articles In This Section:

· The Serve

· Underhand Serve

· Overhand Serve

· Roundhouse Serve

· Comparative Value of the Three Serves

· The Screen for the Server - Part 1

· Strategy of the Serve

· Role of the Serve in National Championships

The roundhouse service is one of tremendous power. This is also known as a windmill, hook, or smash serve. Only in rare cases is it used with any consistency. Many of the more experienced volleyball players use a variation of this serve and are reasonably successful with it. It is covered here only because it is a definite type serve and may be used as a last resort when time is running out and points are needed quickly.

In this service the player should face the side line and be perpendicular to the end line. The ball is tossed straight up with both hands so that it will be directly over the right shoulder. The right arm is brought from against the side straight out and over the head with the elbow kept straight at all times. Contact is made with the ball at a point directly over the shoulder and with the heel of the open hand. The ball is capped with the fingers as it is hit. This causes the ball to go with only a slight rise and with a tremendous top spin and drop as it crosses the net. The difficulty in returning the ball comes from its velocity.