How to Hit a Volleyball Hard (Step-by-Step for Beginners)

Are you tired of weak and mistimed swings?

So are many of the athletes who walk into my gym every week.

Many beginners think that to hit a volleyball hard, you need to swing harder.

If that's you, you couldn't be further from the truth.

To hit a volleyball hard, you need a proper sequence and timing.

Once your approach and arm swing sync up, power flows effortlessly.

This is what the best players in the world do consistently

The Approach

Power is generated from the ground up.

To hit a volleyball hard, you need to transfer horizontal momentum into vertical momentum.

This means that the quality of your approach determines how high and how hard you hit the ball.

It's great that you know the ideal approach to hit a volleyball.

But it's even more important you understand the rhythm of these steps.

For a 3-step approach, your first step should be a medium walking step.

Your body weight should be on the balls of your feet, with your chest leaning forward.

[Coaching cue] Imagine yourself as a track athlete in starting blocks.

Usain Bolt kicking out of the starting blocks

The more forward-leaning you are, the more momentum you generate.

Your second or penultimate step is your most important.

It is the longest step of your approach taken in the direction of the ball.

As you stride forward, ensure you land heel-to-toe.

This creates a big contact area, allowing you to transfer horizontal momentum into vertical momentum, resulting in a higher jump and bigger spike.

Yuki Ishikawa's aggressive penultimate step

Your third or block step is a short step.

It lands in front of your penultimate step, turning 45 degrees.

If you don't understand the math, its role is to turn your body to the ball/setter.

So, make sure your toes point at the setter to open up your hips.

Block step turning to the setter

The Arm Swing

As you get airborne, two things happen;

Your non-dominant arm stays high and forward to track the ball.

The elbow of your dominant arm pulls back, opening up your chest.

At this point, you should have your hips and chest opened up towards the setter.

Yuki Ishikawa loading to hit the ball

Think of pulling back a bow and arrow.

Next, your hips will rotate forward as your elbow begins to come forward.

Your elbow comes around and high above your head while your arm stays patiently behind your head.

This will allow your arm to whip through the ball as you follow through after your swing.

High elbow and patient arm

It's only after you combine these two that you'll unleash maximum force.

Doing any one of these before the other will cause power leaks.

Power doesn’t come from swinging harder. It comes from great mechanics, better spacing, and consistent feedback.

If you want a structured way to fix your arm swing, approach timing, and contact quality — without guessing — the Spiking Blueprint walks you through it step by step.

👉 [Start the Spiking Blueprint here]

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