jump serving and drills

Question
Mr. Hagenlocher, I would really like to learn how to jump serve, but my coach doesn't know anything about volleyball, it's a new sport to my high school. I could really use some ideas for basic drills. I also am trying to teach myself how to jump serve. If you could give me just the basic steps to jump serving, I'm sure I can figure it out. If you could get back to me that would be great!
Thanks so much,
Gabrielle

Answer
Gabrielle,

I am giving you the answer from a passage in The Coaching Handbook.  This was written by Mary Wise the head coach of Florida.  There isn't many people that know the sport better than she does.

There are three components to the jump serve.  The toss, the approach and contact.

Most jump servers toss with their hitting hand.  The toss must be high and out in front so you can make contact at the peak of your jump.  The toss is critical to your success as a jump server.  You must practice your toss more than the actual jump serve.

Having executed the toss, you must gather your arms, swing them back, and take a four step approach, accelerating as you would when you are attacking the ball.A right handed player steps, right, left, right-left into the jump.  The final right-left is a quick plant with the weight going from heel to toe with the right foot and the ball of the left foot.  At the pre-jump position, the player should have the knees bent and the left foot slightly in front of the right foot.  At this stage, the arms go straight back with the thumbs pointing down.  At the jump, again like an attack, the player swings both arms in front, transferring your weight from the right foot to the left, and generating power from the approach.

You contact the ball out in front with the palm of the hand.  Snapping your wrist at contact (if you want a top spin serve).  The higher the contact the faster the serve, the more topspin you put on the ball the faster the ball
will travel to the floor.

I hope this was of some help.
Steve