A Stanford University men's player readies to spike a volleyball

How to Hit a Volleyball Harder

 

–Beverly Oden, Olympic volleyball player

There is much more to getting the kill in volleyball than hitting the ball harder. There’s placement, there is timing, there are tooling and many other ways to score a point on the attack. But let’s admit it, hitting the ball hard is fun, and it can send a message to your opponent that you mean business.

 

A good volleyball hitter doesn’t hit the ball as hard as they can every time. It is important to have a changeup–like a tip or a roll shot–not only to keep your opponents guessing but also to save your shoulder from certain ruin…