Can Newtons Laws be used to optimize a volleyball serve?
An analysis of the role of Newtons Laws in Volleyball
Volleyball, a game easily forgotten in the shuffle among other great American pastimes, is a sport that requires an enormous amount of technique, skill and concentration. Volleyball involves much more than the simple spiking of a ball. In this analysis we will look at perhaps the most unappreciated and overlooked aspect of the game, the serve.
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To start a point, the ball must be served from one side to the other. Serving is a tool used by teams, and when used correctly, can be as effective as a spike or dig. The purpose of a serve is not merely to give the ball back to the other team to spike, an effective serve will make it difficult for the other team to mount a successful counter attack. One objective is to give the receiving team as little time as possible to react, another is to manipulate the spin on the ball in such a way that it is difficult to pass.There are several different techniques utilized in a volleyball serve. We will consider the jump serve and the float serve and will analyze the important forces involved in each that make them so successful.