Tips, Cues, and Common Spiking Mistakes
Volleyball spiking form and the skill attacking a volleyball is a skill just about every player loves. Everybody loves to jump up high and hit the ball hard.
Every player loves to hammer the ball. Hitting a volleyball is also referred to as attacking, crushing, terminating.
Goal of Volleyball
Teaching your team how to attack the ball is very important to achieving success.
To win, you need to score points. Attacking the ball down to your opponents court is one of the main ways to score points in volleyball.
Volleyball spiking form is important because the better your team is at the pass, set, hit, the more likely your team will win.
Contact Position for Spiking
Learning Correct Volleyball Spiking Form
The following is for right-handed players…
- Big hand. Keep the hand “big” and in the shape of the ball. Contact the ball in a “clawlike” motion.
- Start with the right foot forward. Step right-left-right-left.
- Bring both arms down by your sides as you take the last steps. The arms swing back on the second step.
- The last right step is big and fast.
- The last step puts on the forward breaks. Focus on jumping up, not broad jumping forward.
- Bow and arrow the arms. Elbow should be above the shoulder.
- Contact the ball with a “vertical arm” and in front of the body. Create topspin.
Master the 4 Step Spike Approach
The 4 step approach allows the hitter to adjust to the ball. Right-left-right-left for right-handed players. More steps also allows for faster approaches resulting in higher jumps.
Arms go forward then back then forward and up
The double arm action allows the hitter to use muscle elasticity which results in higher jumps.
Contact the ball high and create topspin
A high contact will help the hitter hit the ball down into the court. Topspin will also make the ball cut through the air, dropping the ball at sharper trajectory downward.
Men’s Volleyball Spike and Block
Common Problems with Volleyball Spiking Form
Volleyball Open Hand Tip Attack
The follow are common issues in spiking a volleyball…
- Running under the ball. If you have trouble running under or past the ball, try waiting then going fast.
If you run past the ball, this will make it very difficult to hit. Be sure to wait then go. - Not contacting the ball with a vertical arm. When making contact, the ball should be in front of the hitting arm.
If the spiker is reaching out to the side, the contact will be lower. A common mistake is reaching across the body and hitting the ball “out of bounds” to the left. - Approaching too slow. The approach should start out slow then end fast. The last two steps are faster than the previous steps.
If you don’t go faster on your last two, it will be harder to hit. If your approach is slow you won’t jump as high and it will also be more difficult to “time the hit” accurately.
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