How to Hit a Volleyball Harder

Volleyball attackers choose to hit the ball harder for a good reason. The reality is if a volleyball player hits the ball harder – he/she makes it more difficult for the opponent’s defense to resist an attack. That means that a hitter should do everything he/she can to hit a volleyball as hard as possible. On the other hand, attackers should aim to spike the ball accurately and do everything they can to hit the target.

When carrying out an attack hit you need to pay a close attention to such things as body position, arm swing as well as ball contact. The job of an attacker is to choose the right moment for hitting the ball, position body properly, swing an arm faster and carry out an attack hit.

So, the question is – how to hit a volleyball harder? Actually, it’s one of the most common questions volleyball coaches get from attackers. Bellow, we’ll help you find the correct answer to this important question and figure out what it takes to be a good hitter. Try our tips on how to hit a volleyball harder!

Try to Hit a Volleyball Harder and Accurately

As previously mentioned, it’s important for volleyball players to hit the ball forcefully and accurately. That means that hitting a volleyball harder shouldn’t be the number one priority for an attacker. It’s crucial for a hitter to be patient. This will certainly help an attacker hit the ball harder and be accurate enough.

A Hitter Should Stand Behind the Ball

Oftentimes, volleyball players don’t take advantage of the set and that’s why they don’t prepare for carrying out an attack hit quite well. Unfortunately, it’s the mistake that we see that so many hitters make again and again.

In fact, if you don’t position yourself on the court properly you may find it difficult to hit the ball hardly and accurately. Obviously, as a hitter you shouldn’t have the ball behind you. You are unlikely to hit the ball successfully from this position. If you are trying to hit the ball harder then you should definitely have the ball in front of you.

You Need to Know How Fast You Can Hit the Ball

It’s a great idea to practise the hitting skill in advance. So, you’ll have an understanding of how fast you can swing your arm. This will help you choose the right moment for spiking. As a result, you’ll be able to hit the ball harder during the game.

Do Everything You Can to Get on Top of the Ball

It’s time to carry out an attack hit when the ball is in front of you. However, it can be challenging for you to hit the ball if you see that the opponent’s defense is about to block your attack. If this happens then you obviously should try to find a hole in the block of the opponent’s defenders quickly. You should also do your best to get on top of the ball when carrying out an attack hit. By doing this, you’ll be able to hit the ball at a sharp downward angle. In this case, your chances for success are increasing dramatically.

Use the Entire Body to Hit a Volleyball Harder

As it was mentioned above, the correct position of a body as well as choosing the right moment are a key to carrying out a successful attack hit. However, the success of an attack hit also largely depends on arm swing.

As a hitter, you definitely need to try everything you can to use your entire body to carry out an attack hit. Your job is to put your entire body into your swing. When your shoulders turn you should use your arm muscles, back muscles as well as chest muscles. As a result, the whole body will be involved in the attack hit. All of this will help you hit the ball harder.

If you take advantage of abdominal muscles then you’ll be able to add more power to your arms and shoulders. By doing this, you’ll be able to make a significant contribution to your attack hit. If you want to hit harder you also need to use your legs as well as hip muscles. In other words, volleyball players need to engage the correct muscles of their legs and hips when performing a hitting motion. All that you need to do is to step and turn your hips as fast as you can when hitting the ball.

It’s recommended to do volleyball hitting exercises 2 – 3 times a week. Practicing hitting skills regularly will help you build the correct muscle memory over the time. In the long term, you’ll be able to increase hip power and hitting velocity significantly. However, the most important thing is that you’ll strengthen the specific hitting muscles of your body. Finally, your muscles will get stronger and you’ll begin to hit the ball much harder.

Keep an Eye on the Ball

You need to watch the ball carefully prior to carrying out an attack hit. By doing this, you’ll be able to contact the ball at the right place. It’s best to contact the ball in the top and central part. And of course, you also need to pay a close attention to the block while hitting the ball. Above all, you should see where the ball goes after hitting.

Take Advantage of a Jump

If you would like to hit a volleyball harder then you should definitely do your best to spike the ball when it’s in front of your hitting shoulder. That’s the reason why you may need to jump to hit the ball forcefully and accurately.

If you don’t jump then the ball will probably fall down and you are likely to lose the moment for hitting. Keep in mind that if you jump you’ll be able to hit the ball when it’s in front of your hitting shoulder. This will certainly make it easier for you to hit a volleyball harder.

Actually, there are two ways to benefit from a jump when hitting the ball. You should also jump to try to hit the ball when it’s too far in front of you. By doing this, you’ll be able to get closer to the ball and hit it with power. However, the problem is that you may find it hard to hit the ball over the net. On the other hand, you can take advantage of a jump when the ball is too far behind you. In this case, a jump will help you hit the ball over the net successfully. However, you’ll find it hard to hit a volleyball with power.

Develop Hitting Skills in the Right Way

If you use the wall to practise your hitting skills then you definitely need to know how to do this correctly. And of course, hitters shouldn’t bang the ball repetitively against the wall all the times. It’s a very bad habit. Finally, you may find it difficult to hit the ball over the block and net.

Obviously, it makes sense for you to focus on volleyball drills which will help you learn how to hit the ball over the block or over the net successfully. Moreover, leg training exercises as well as arm swing drills have to be a key part of a hitter’s training program.

Practice volleyball drills for spiking on a regular basis and success will come over time. Sooner or later, you’ll definitely begin to hit a volleyball harder. This will help you carry out more successful attack hits and win more points for your volleyball team during the game.

Try to Hit the Ball from the 3 Meter Line

It’s not a surprise that a lot of volleyball attackers choose to hit the ball when they are near the net. However, if an attacker positions himself/herself close to the net then it can be challenging for him/her to hit the ball over the block successfully and hit the target. That means that volleyball attackers should try to hit the ball from the 3 meter line. Bear in mind that if you position yourself near the 3 meter line then you’ll be able to hit a volleyball harder. Plus, it’s a lot easier to hit the ball over the block if you carry out an attack hit from the 3 meter line.

Thanks a lot for reading our article on how to hit a volleyball harder. Try our tips and work hard on developing your hitting skills consistently. Without a doubt, this will help you hit the ball harder and demonstrate better results on the court! Best of luck!