How to do a float serve

Those simple underhand and overhand serves you learned many moons ago in gym class just won’t cut it on the beach volleyball court. Instead you need to master the non-arcing floater—an easy serve to learn but one of the hardest to return because it travels erratically through the air. Unleashing it will cause widespread confusion on the part of your opponents and bring widespread high-fives in your direction. Booyah!

1. Stand in the stride position, with one foot slightly in front of the other, facing the net. Your forward foot should be opposite to your hitting hand.

2. Hold the ball in front of you in your non-hitting hand, arm fully extended. Your hitting hand should be at your ear, elbow thrust high behind you, as with any overhand serve.

3. Toss the ball about two feet in the air, then smack it sharply with your hitting hand as if it’s hot to touch. Don’t snap your wrist, hit upwards or follow through. The idea is to have the ball travel straight with little or no trajectory.

4. As your hand connects with the ball, transfer your weight to your forward foot.

5. Make sure you’re throwing the ball in front of you, not above your shoulder, so there’s no arc.