How To Improve Your Game

The Power Serve

by Fred Lewis (adapted for 1-Wall by Albert Apuzzi)

If a player is ever in complete control of the situation during a handball match, it is when he is standing in the service box, hitting the serve.

The server is on offense and can make any choice he desires. The receiver may be on offense or defense, depending on the effectiveness of the serve.

The server has some unique advantages that rarely occur at other times. For instance, the server:

• Is hitting the ball at a distance about 16 feet from the wall.
• Has the option of serving from anywhere in the service box.
• Has a wide array of choices as to what serve to hit.
• Controls the tempo of the match. He can use the allotted 10 seconds after the score has been called, or he can put the ball in play immediately. The server also can control the tempo by hitting lob serves or speed it up by hitting low, hard serves.

The power serve is the most commonly used serve. It can be an offensive tool if hit correctly and can help tally points in a hurry. If you have ever marveled at the way some of the top pros hit the ball so low and hard on the serve, you might wonder why you are unable to do the same. The prerequisite for hitting the power serve well is a good sidearm stroke. With rare exception, the most gifted servers through the years have possessed great fundamentals, including the sidearm stroke. Coming to mind are legends such as Howie Eisenberg, Vic Hershkowitz, Carl Obert, Steve Sandler. Each of these great servers had a different style and philosophy of serving, but the one element they had in common was the basic sidearm stroking motion.

The stroke can be broken down into segments. Using the center of the body as the point of contact, the stroking arm is drawn back about 2 to 3 feet from the center of the body for the backswing. As the shoulder rotates the arm forward, the elbow and wrist are bent slightly back. As contact is made, the elbow and wrist snap forward. The wrist and elbow snap is the common failing of most players. They don't get the snap from the elbow and wrist on the point of contact and follow-through, and therefore fail to achieve maximum power. After contact is made, the stroking arm follows through until the hand is pointing toward the wall. Too often, players end their stroke with little or no follow-through.

In the analysis of any stroke, the arm not used for striking the ball cannot be ignored. Whether or not you use it for dropping the ball, once the ball is tossed, the free hand should be used as a guide to clear an unobstructed path for the stroking arm. A common error many players make is to leave the free arm dangling at their side or, worse yet, rest it on their knee as they stroke the ball. This will restrict the follow-through, decreasing the momentum and, thus, power.

Momentum is directly related to the amount of power the server can generate. When momentum combines with force, power is produced. The force of the body combined with the momentum can produce a lot of power.

In handball, as in other sports, momentum is achieved by stepping into the ball. Usually, one foot steps forward or more steps are taken before striking the ball on the power serve. Just stepping forward with the front foot keeps the process nice and simple: Bounce the ball, step and hit.

The proper way to do this is to bounce the ball in front of you and let it come up to its apex, pulling your arm back at the same time. As the ball begins to drop for its second bounce, step forward with your front foot. Simultaneously, the arm begins its forward striking motion. As contact is made, the rear leg supplies the push, driving the body and ball toward the wall.

More steps may supply additional momentum. However, complications may occur. It is important to toss the ball in front of the center line of your body. Remember, you will want to make contact with the ball at the center of your body. After you've taken your step or steps, the ball must be at the center of your body to make good contact and hit the ball where you are aiming. If you don't toss the ball accurately and as a result hit the ball in front of or behind the center line, much power and control will be lost.

However, serving with power is only half the battle. Controlling the power is probably the most difficult part of the drive serve. Controlling the serve means keeping it in the receiving zone (floor area behind the short line, inside and including the side and long lines), while keeping it close to the lines. To be consistent, you should try to make the ball hit the wall at the same height at which your hand strikes the ball. If you contact the ball at knee height, aim for knee high on the wall. Whatever height your power will allow you to make contact with the ball and send it to the wall on the same plane and then barely clear the short line will be the ideal height for your point of contact on the low power serve. You should hit the ball higher on the wall if you want the serve to land near the long line.

To keep it simple and minimize errors, the serve should be sent to the wall on the same plane. Don't make contact with the ball so low that you have to lift it to have it clear the short line. Lifting the ball on your serve will tend to make it land deeper in the receiving zone. With some practice, you will find your ideal height for the point of contact so you can aim straight ahead and have the ball just clear the short line.

Serving in handball can be compared to pitching in baseball. Good major-league pitchers have great control and several types of pitches in their repertoire. They move the ball around the strike zone, sometimes low and inside, sometimes high and outside.

The strategy in serving a handball is similar. The most effective serves are those that travel very close to the border of the receiving zone.

An intelligent player knows that he can’t count on the same serve for 21 points, and must also perfect other serves. Learn to serve from different areas on the court and also to hit a variety of serves from the same starting point. You can start by changing the speed, and/or direction of the hook on the ball. As a result, your opponents will be forced to attempt to cover more serves, making each more effective.

Much can also be said for serving to your opponent's strong hand. Some of the pros' most effective serves are to their opponents' strong hands. The reason is that most players don't learn to play defense as well with their strong hand as they do with their weak hand. The tendency for most players is to go on offense whenever they can hit the ball with their strong hand, in spite of the obvious defensive situation of the return of serve.

Effective serves to the strong side also require a good defensive return by the receiver or he will set the server up or make an error. With the server just 15 or 20 feet from the wall and the receiver trying to go on offense, the server may be able to tally many easy points by serving to the strong side.

If you're a righty, serving to the right has another advantage in that the ball will stay in the line of your vision without the necessary look over your shoulder when you serve to the left. Thus, it is usually easier for the right-handed server to react to the service return when it comes from the right side of the court.

Most players should strive to develop two or three effective power serves. This will allow you to mix them up, and to stymie players who are particularly adept at returning a specific serve. For another baseball analogy, many batters are very adept at hitting fastballs but not curveballs. If the receiver can properly defend your favorite power serve, you should be able to switch to one that brings the weak returns and aces that you'll be able to convert into points.