Serving technique against the wall

The wall answers within a second: a ball that lands above the line was good, anything under it was too flat. Two players, two balls, no waiting and no ball that has to come back from the other side. After five on target everyone takes a step back, which makes the drill get harder all by itself.

2 players 5 phases ± 12 min 1 ball per player, a clear wall, tape or chalk for a line at net height From U13 upwards, as soon as players hit the ball overhand

Phase 1 of 5Two players three meters from the wall, ball in hand

Servers, each in front of their own section of wall Equipment Ball

This animation comes straight out of the Koach app. In the app you play it at your own pace and the positions carry your players' real names.

Open in the app

How the drill runs

What you are training

Isolate toss and arm swing: tight above a line at net height on the wall, step back after five hits.

Training the toss on its own: the same height and the same spot in front of the hitting shoulder, every single ball.
An arm swing that pushes the ball flat and forward instead of scooping it upward.
Judging for yourself whether a ball was good — the line on the wall is the referee, not the coach.

Coaching points

Toss without moving your hitting arm along with it.

Toss and swing at the same time and you will be hunting for the ball afterwards. The toss is a separate action: the ball should already be hanging in the air before the arm goes.

The ball drops in front of your hitting shoulder, not above your head.

Above your head you can only hit upward. Half a meter forward gives you the flat trajectory a serve needs.

Contact the ball with a firm hand and stop the swing.

On a float serve there must be no spin on the ball. Following through almost always puts that spin on it; a short, firm punch keeps the ball still in the air.

Only step back after five good ones in a row.

Adding distance before the technique holds up only produces harder swinging. The threshold of five turns distance into a reward instead of a starting point.

Variations

Easier: Put the line half a meter lower and let the players start two meters from the wall. Underhand serving is allowed too: then the player is mainly training a consistent toss.
Harder: Draw a box a meter wide above the line; only balls landing inside it count. Or have the player catch the rebound in one go without stepping.
With one player: One player, one ball, two lines side by side on the wall: hit left and right alternately. That forces them to aim again on every ball.
As a game: Who is first to hit five in a row from the furthest distance? On a miss the counter goes back to zero, but the player stays where they are.

Volleyball drills

4 players · 6 phases SafeVolley base round Warm-up 3 players · 5 phases Shoulder activation with band Warm-up 2 players · 6 phases Dynamic movement patterns Warm-up 5 players · 5 phases Core plank with rotation Warm-up

Read on in the knowledge base: more drills you can do on your own against a wall · the build-up of the overhand serve · how high and how far forward the toss should be