The Float Serve
A good float serve or floater is a necessary tool to have in your arsenal. If you are playing in a drafty gym, a float serve can be a killer because it has no spin. The air catches it and can move it in many directions as it crosses over to your opponent's side of the net. Some serves float and then drop suddenly, making it extremely difficult for a passer to handle.
The float serve is all about your touch on the ball which can be difficult to explain and just as difficult to understand at first. But start with these steps and keep trying until you get the feel for it and you'll see your ball start to move.
Forces:
Applied force, spring force, and Bernoulli's Principal are all forces used in a float serve. Applied force is used in a float serve because, without the force of your hand hitting the ball, the ball would fall to the ground. Spring Force is important in the serve because, when the ball is hit it contracts and expands due to the force of the serve. This causes the ball to not spin and move in random directions while in the air. Lastly, Bernoulli's Principle is used because the ball's volume is displaced to the top and the bottom of the ball when you hit it causing the velocity to be uneven around the ball and therefore, causes the ball to not spin.
The float serve is all about your touch on the ball which can be difficult to explain and just as difficult to understand at first. But start with these steps and keep trying until you get the feel for it and you'll see your ball start to move.
Forces:
Applied force, spring force, and Bernoulli's Principal are all forces used in a float serve. Applied force is used in a float serve because, without the force of your hand hitting the ball, the ball would fall to the ground. Spring Force is important in the serve because, when the ball is hit it contracts and expands due to the force of the serve. This causes the ball to not spin and move in random directions while in the air. Lastly, Bernoulli's Principle is used because the ball's volume is displaced to the top and the bottom of the ball when you hit it causing the velocity to be uneven around the ball and therefore, causes the ball to not spin.