Different Types of Spikes in Volleyball

It’s fair to say that the success of a volleyball team largely depends on its attackers (also known as hitters). There is no doubt that hitters play a very important role in the game of volleyball. Actually, an attack in volleyball is all about carrying out attack hits.

The primary job of an attacker is to carry out a successful attack hit, land the ball on the opposite side of the court and win a point for his/her team. Obviously, a volleyball attacker should be able to take the right position on the court and choose the perfect moment for an attack hit. On the other hand, it’s incredibly important for an attacker to master the effective hitting technique and spike a ball in the best possible way.

It goes without saying that a volleyball attacker should focus on learning different types of spikes (such as hard-driven spike, off-speed spike, standing spike as well as open-handed tip). You need to know that mastering spikes has to be a key part of a volleyball attacker’s training program. In other words, hitters have to work hard on learning spikes on a regular basis.

In this blog, we’ll give you some insights into volleyball attacking. First of all, we’ll tell you about each type of a volleyball spike in detail. Thus, you’ll know the key differences between spikes in volleyball. In addition, we’ll provide you with useful tips for learning how to spike the ball correctly. As a result, you’ll have an understanding of what it takes to be a good volleyball hitter.

Hard-Driven Spike

A lot of volleyball attackers choose to carry out the so called “hard-driven” spike. The attacker needs to hit a ball forcefully and should aim to land it on the opponent’s side of the court. Now, we would like to give a few tips to help volleyball attackers with this type of spike.

It’s crucial for a volleyball attacker to prepare for the “hard-driven” spike properly. According to the rules of volleyball sport, a team has to touch the ball no more than three times prior to returning it to the opponent’s side of the net. So, if you would like to take advantage of “hard-driven” spike then it’s best to carry out an attack hit when a team contacts a ball for the third time (after digging and setting).

You also need to know how to contact the ball for the “hard-driven” spike in the right way. When making the contact with the ball you should do your best to swing your arm forward as quickly as possible. After that, you need to throw your shoulder, elbow as well as hand and wrist towards the ball. By doing this, you’ll certainly make it easier for yourself to hit the ball forcefully. In order to get the most out of the “hard-driven” spike you should also aim to contact the back of the ball with the heel of an open hand. In addition, you should do everything you can to snap your wrist while contacting the ball. If you take advantage of the wrist snap then you are likely to hit the ball more forcefully. As a result, the ball will land on the opposite side of the court much quicker.

Off-speed Spike

The “off-speed” spike is also known as the “roll shot” in volleyball sport. When carrying out this type of an attack hit, a volleyball player should aim to land the ball in the open area of the court. That’s the reason why volleyball players also call “off-speed” spike as a controlled spike.

First of all, a volleyball attacker should find the best moment for the “off-speed” spike. As it was mentioned above, a volleyball team is allowed to contact the ball three times only. After that, the ball has to be sent to the opponent’s side. The ball is digged on the first contact. The second contact is setting. It’s recommended to carry out an attack hit on the third contact.

It’s worth noting that a hitter should start preparing the “off-speed” spike in advance. When a volleyball team makes the 1-st and 2-nd contact with the ball, a volleyball attacker has to watch the opposite team carefully. The job of an attacker is to find the area that’s not defended properly by the opposite team. Once the moment for carrying out an attack hit has come, a volleyball attacker has to hit the ball forcefully towards the open space on the opponent’s court.

And of course, a hitter needs to spike the ball correctly. It’s worth noting that “hard-driven” spike and “off-speed” spike have a lot of common things. Keep in mind that you’ll be able to succeed with the “off-speed” spike if you contact the ball with the heel of an open hand. You should also do everything you can to swing the arm forward quickly while contacting the ball. This will certainly help you through your shoulder, elbow as well as hand and wrist at the ball successfully. However, you shouldn’t swing the arm full speed. When contacting the ball a player has to slow down the arm swing and the wrist snap.

There are also some differences between the “hard-driven” and “off-speed” spikes. The reality is you shouldn’t hit the ball forcefully for the “off-speed” spike. It’s incredibly important for you to hit the ball softly. So, the ball will be able to go over defensive players of the opposite team and land in the open area of the opponent’s court successfully. As a result, your volleyball team will be able to win the point.

Standing Spike

Oftentimes, volleyball players need to carry out an attack hit from a standing position. That means that an attacker doesn’t have to jump to carry out an attack hit. For this reason, such an attack hit is called as the “standing” spike. The “standing” spike is also known as the “down ball”. When carrying out this type of an attack hit, an attacker should aim to land the ball on the opponent’s court. Now, we would like to give you a few tips to help you succeed with the “standing” spike.

Such an attack hit as the “standing” spike should be carried out by a back row volleyball player. It’s also important to note that the “standing” spike has to be well-prepared. First of all, the setter has to throw the ball high in the air. By doing this, the setter will be able to give an attacker enough time to prepare for a successful attack hit. It’s time for an attacker to carry out an attack hit when the ball reaches the highest point over his/her forehead.

Actually, you can hit the ball with the different speed for the “standing” spike. An attacker should watch the game carefully and make the appropriate decision. Depending on the situation, you can choose to hit the ball either forcefully or slowly.

Open-Handed Tip

If you would like to be a good volleyball attacker then you obviously need to master such an attack hit as “open-handed tip”. It’s worth noting that this type of spike is used to deceive blockers of the opposite team and land the ball in the open area of the court successfully.

You need to contact the ball with finger pads of an open hand for the “open handed tip” spike. It’s very important for an attacker to hit the ball softly. As a result, the ball will go over the opposite team’s blockers and land in the open area of the opponent’s side of the court.

In addition, volleyball attackers should do everything that they can to contact the ball at the right place. So, it’s best to hit just below the center back of the ball. When making the contact with the ball, attacker’s arms and hands should be positioned in front of the hitting shoulder. By doing this, you’ll be able to make the ball drop down on the opponent’s side of the court quickly.

Thank you so much for reading our article. As you can see, we have just provided readers with everything that they need to know about different types of spikes in volleyball. Above all, we have shared some tips that volleyball attackers need to follow to master each type of an attack hit. Without a doubt, you need to be patient and learn different types of spikes consistently. So, the success will definitely come over time. Sooner or later, you’ll be able to become a good volleyball attacker. Best of luck!