7 weeks · 3x / week · High School
Volleyball Serve & Approach Power
Seven weeks of approach speed, arm-swing sequencing and jump-serve power for players who need the ball to arrive heavier.
How to run it
- The penultimate step is where an approach either loads or leaks. Phase 1 exists entirely to fix it.
- Jump volume is capped: no more than 40 maximal jumps in a session, counting practice.
- Serve reps go first in the session when the arm is fresh, never after a long hitting block.
Springbak® note
A hitter can land a hundred times a match on an unforgiving floor. Install Springsoles under your court shoe insoles before the week 1 jump test and keep them in through week 7.
Shop SpringsolesThe goal
Add 2-4 inches to the approach jump and increase jump-serve speed without losing the line.
How it progresses
Phase 1 · Weeks 1-2
Approach footwork rhythm and penultimate-step mechanics.
Phase 2 · Weeks 3-5
Loaded jumps, med-ball throws and full-speed serve reps.
Phase 3 · Weeks 6-7
Taper the volume, keep the intent, retest approach jump and serve.
What you test
- Approach jump touch
- Best of five, full three-step approach, same shoes and floor.
- Standing block touch
- Best of three. Together with the approach touch this shows what the approach adds.
- Overhead med-ball throw
- 6 lb ball for distance, best of three.
What you need
- Court and net
- Medicine balls
- Plyo box
- Jump measurement device or chalk wall
The week
Day 1
Approach mechanics
Penultimate step drill
Long-short rhythm, heels down
4 x 6
Three-step approach to touch
6 x 3
Rear-foot elevated split squat
3 x 8 per leg
Ankle rocker holds
3 x 30s per leg
Day 2
Jump power
Trap bar jump
5 x 3 light
Depth jump to stick
4 x 3 from a low box
Overhead med-ball throw
5 x 3
Nordic curl
3 x 5
Day 3
Serve transfer
Jump-serve reps
4 rounds x 6, full recovery
Standing block jumps
4 x 5
Pallof press
3 x 10 per side
Calf raises
3 x 15
Questions about this block
Can setters run this?
Yes, at two days a week. Replace the jump-serve work with jump-set repetitions.
My knees ache in phase 2.
Cut jump volume by a third and add a day between plyometric sessions. Persistent patellar pain means stop and get it looked at.
Run this next
Build your next block
Tell us your sport, the number you want to move next, and the date of your first competition. We re-rank the program library against those answers and show you why each block placed where it did.
Off-season · Nothing to protect on the weekend, so this is where the heavy, high-volume blocks belong.
Best match · 12 weeks · 2x / week
In-Season Strength
Hold off-season strength through a full competitive season with no drop in game-day legs.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Volleyball and strength work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Volleyball
- Fits off-season
Option 2 · 8 weeks · 3x / week
Vertical Jump Block
Add 2-4 inches to approach vertical through force production and a stable plant.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Volleyball and jump work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Volleyball
- Fits off-season
Option 3 · 8 weeks · 3x / week
Volleyball Jump Durability
Hold approach jump height from set one to set five, with no drop-off in the back half of the season.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Volleyball and jump work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Volleyball
- Fits off-season