Jump Serve
The jump serve is a highly effective serve due to the players elevation above the court at time of impact. Using several steps and a jump helps the server to apply a greater force on the ball and jump serves often move at a rapid pace. Hitting the ball in this manner creates a large amount of topspin as well, allowing the ball to drop sharply. The disadvantage of a jump serve is that due to its increased pace and variability due to its many components, an effective and consistent jump serve is a difficult skill to acquire. Especially at the high school level, a more consistent serve is the safer alternative, however the power of the jump serve is undeniable.
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Float Serve |
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A float serve is serving the ball in a way that makes it move so that it is harder to tell where its going. These serves are typically not as rapid as a jump serve, but are effective in that they are very difficult to track for the receiving team. In a proper float serve, the server hits the ball in such a way (typically without leaving the ground, or if so by taking one step or jumping directly up) that it does not spin. The effect of this is that the ball will float or "knuckle" in the air (think of a knuckleball), making it hard for the receiving team to see where the ball is headed.
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