What biomechanical principles are involved in a volleyball serve?

Answer

The volleyball serve is classified as a throw-like movement because the joints used in the kinetic chain extend in sequence one after another. The overarm serve used in volleyball follows a very similar movement pattern as that of the overarm throw. The reason behind this is that within the “movement, the shoulder extends before the elbow and wrist; the shoulder actually begins to extend while the elbow is still flexing, during the wind-up, or cocking, phase” (Blazevich, 2010, p. 186).  This throw-like movement occurs during the preparation phase when the dominant hand is being drawn back ready to release force onto the airborne ball. This same type of throw like movement can also be transferred to the tennis serve as it follows the same movement patterns. There are a few different types of serves most commonly used these being the underhand serve, the topspin serve, the float serve, the jump serve and the baby jump float serve (Kenny & Gregory 2006). The underarm volleyball serve is used mostly by beginners as it is easier to get over the net. However experienced player will still use this type of serve if they are nursing a shoulder injury. The topspin serve tends to have more velocity and follow through and will move at a faster speed due to the Magnus effect. When spin is placed on the ball according to the Magnus effect ‘the air on top would slow down and the air underneath would move relatively quicker’ (Blazevich, 2010, p. 181) which will then make the ball travel quickly and dip making it a harder serve to receive. The float serve is most commonly used in volleyball and employs an overarm technique but is characterised by its lack of follow through. The float serve is named as such due to the appearance it has of ‘floating’ through the air with no spin and little side to side movement. The jump serve is quite a hard serve to do as it requires many components. The timing of throw in the air along with the height and the steps taken along with the jump to meet it are vital for it to be successful. If the timing is off it is near impossible to place the ball where originally desired. The player must throw the ball into the air with enough force so that it will provide enough time for them to take 2-3 steps and jump to meet it at the optimal height to hit it into the receiving side of the court. The landing after the serve places much strain on player’s joints especially if they are landing on one leg. This serve however if done correctly can produce a lot of power and be of great benefit to the server using it. The alternate serve to the jump serve is the baby jump float serve which incurs less error but still provides a powerful result. This serve requires a lower toss and the arm swing used is easier to control giving the server a greater chance of reaching their target. This serve also places less pressure on athlete’s knees and shoulders making it quite popular. 

The best way in which to describe the biomechanical principles of the volleyball serve is through three different phases; preparation, contact and follow through. Each phase is an important part of the serve as it helps to form the kinetic chain (Blazevich, 2010). Most of the serves minus the float serves use all of these phases. The float serve requires preparation and contact but has no follow through.  Figure 1 demonstrates the five stages of the volleyball serve in which the different serves mention before all incorporate parts from. The preparation part of the serve is the same through most of the serves as they all require the elbow to be bought back behind the ear and forced forwards to make connection with the ball. Each contact phase of all the serves requires enough force so that the ball will make it over the net. For any serve to be successful each phase but be complete somewhat successfully otherwise if one is not, then the following phase will become much more difficult and mistakes or faults will occur.

 

Which volleyball serve is most effective?

Each serve serves a different purpose to a server so to be able to determine which serve is most effective it depends on what type of shot the player is wishing to make. If a player requires a power shot where maximum force will be applied then the jump serve will prove to be the most effective. If a payer is looking for accuracy then the float serve would be the one to use as the ball is always in the players sights making it easier to line up the ball and place it into the receiving side in the desired spot. Some issues however that occur with the overarm serves especially the jump serve and the baby jump float serve is the number of injuries associated with them. When players use these serves they are absorbing a lot of force into their knees when they land placing strain on the joints. Due to the overarm serving motion in both of these serves a lot of pressure is also being placed on the shoulder joints when the arm is making contact with the ball. The overarm serves are the most popular serve which means that they could be used by a player dozens of times within a game. This type of serve requires a lot of internal rotation within the shoulder which can result in overuse. If someone is a beginner and are uncomfortable with using an overarm approach then the underarm serve would prove to be most effective for them. If a player is wanting to produce a fast shot that has a bit less predictability then the topspin shot would be most effective as it places the ball into the air like other serves but will drop quickly, leaving less time for defence to react. So in being able to determine what serve would be the most effective first the desired outcomes must first be looked at along with what constraints are present within the game.

 

How can the speed and accuracy of a volleyball serve be improved?

There are a few different approaches that can be taken when improving volleyball serves. Flexibility plays a large role when it comes to the range of motion within the joints required for the serve. The degree of flexibility that an athlete has will be a big part of how well they can execute their serves. Flexibility conditioning would be beneficial in assisting a player’s flexibility and may help with improving their serve. The reason flexibility conditioning is so important is because without it the tissues extensibility diminishes leaving a lower level of flexibility (Hall, 2007). The next approach is through feedback. Feedback can be given to a server through two ways. The first is through sensory feedback which comes from the player’s sensory receptors in the muscles, joints, skin, eyes and ears (Hodges & Williams, 2012). From these types of feedback the player can self-determine the success off the serve to a certain degree. The next type of feedback that is given is by a coach, trainer, teacher or some kind of recording device. This type of feedback is classified as external feedback and can provide a view on how the player’s body is moving which the player can obviously feel but not see from a whole approach (Hodges & Williams, 2012). Having a coach on the side lines telling an athlete what areas need improving is a fast way of receiving this feedback in comparison to a recording device and is most commonly used during game situations. For a player to improve the speed of their serve they will need to apply more force. Newton’s Third Law of Motion comes into effect here where it states that ‘ if an object (A) exerts a force on another object (B), the other object (B) exerts the same force on the first object (A) but in the opposite direction’ (McGinnis, 1999, p. 95). So there for the more force that a player can apply onto one area of the ball the faster the speed and velocity of the serve will be. In terms of accuracy the athlete’s perceptual-motor landscape will come into play. The more times a player is subjected to different constraints either personal, environmental or task, the further their perceptual-motor landscape will grow and their movement attractors will assist them when adapting to these constraints (Davids, Button, & Bennett, 2008). Having this growing landscape will help the athletes’ ability to accurately serve to where desired as their body will be able to adapt faster to the changing aspects of the game. As we already know the jump serve provides some of the most force out of all the serves, so therefore to improve the jump serve the height of the jump should be focused on along with the ball toss and the timing of the run up. Ways in which to improve the jump serve is through game related practice and through strength conditioning. A jump training program that includes traditional Olympic lifts along with plyometric training is a good area in which to start when building the muscles required for the jump (Hebert, 2014). Another area that requires focus is the mobility of the hip joint and thoracic vertebrae as they are crucial to achieving a higher ball velocity (Hayrinen, Mikkola, Honkamen, Lahtinen, Paananen, & Blomqvist, 2011).

 

How else we can use this information?

The biomechanical information given surrounding the different types of volleyball techniques can be used by a variety of people. People looking to improve on their jumps are informed of the ways in which to do so and through what options are the most effective. Anyone who is interested in volleyball and is having trouble with their shoulder or knees may look to different types of serves that require less internal rotation and produce less pressure on the joints upon landing. This is important because

‘Knee injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament lesions and patellar tendonitis are very frequent in volleyball, and are often attributed to micro traumas that occur during the landing phase of airborne actions’ (Lobietti, Coleman, Pizzichillo, & Merni, 2010).

This information can be used to inform people on the impacts of the different serves on their joints and the ways in which to reduce the possibility of injury. Upon reading this the audience may develop a better understanding of the biomechanical aspects of each serve and how different constraints can play a large role in the outcome of a successful serve. Understanding the biomechanics of the volleyball serve is a great way to improve performance and prevent injury along with comprehending how it can assist in rehabilitation. Coaches use biomechanics to help improve their athlete’s performance by identifying what sections of their body may be limiting them in their overall performance and then by using a biomechanical approach they help to solve these issues.

References

Blazevich, A. (2010). Sports biomechanics, the basics: Optimising human performance. London: A&C Black.

Davids, K.., Button, C., & Bennett, S. J. (2008). Dynamics of skill acquisition: A constraints-led approach. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Hall, S. J. (2007). Basic Biomechanics (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.

 

Hayrinen, M., Mikkola, T., Honkamen, P., Lahtinen, P., Paananen, A., & Blomqvist, M. (2011). Biomechanical analysis of the jump serve in men's volleyball. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45(6), 543.

Hebert, M. (2014). Thinking volleyball: inside the game with a coaching legend. United States of America: Human Kinetics.

Hodges, N. J., & Williams, A. M. (2012). Skill acquisition in sport (2^nd ed.). Oxon: Routledge. 

 

Kenny, B., & Gregory, C. (2006). Volleyball Steps to Success. United States of America: Human Kinetics.

Lobietti, R., Coleman, S.,Pizzichillo, E., & Merni, F. (2010). Landing techniques in volleyball. Journal of sports sciences, 28(13), 1469-1476.

McGinnis, P. M. (1999). Biomechanics of sport and exercise (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.