Jump Serve
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The jump serve is the most difficult
serve to pull off in volleyball. It requires a lot of coordination,
the toss up, the running jump, and the hit at just the right speed and
angle. However a good jump server can make it feel like a spike from
behind the serving line. This serve is the best, most powerful and most
difficult serve to make.
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The obvious advantage to the jump serve is the enormous height advantage.
At this height the volleyball player can often hit the ball with a downward force (a small negative theta). This allows the player to hit as hard as he/she can. Obviously a serve like this can end up feeling like a spike to the opposite team. The down side is the coordination, and with it the small window of error that is the launch angle and velocity.
As far as real numbers go, for an overhand serve the optimal launch angle of your hand will be about between zero and negative 10 degrees. This number is based on a player who's serving hand is 10-11 feet in the air.
Of course even if a player can't jump higher than the net, the jump serve still allows for extra power to be added to the serve.
Serves