Short–Deep Serving

Alternate a short serve just over the net with a deep serve to the end line. Teaches servers to control depth, which pulls passers out of position.

Focus

Controlling serve depth

Level

Intermediate

Players

1 or more

Equipment

Balls, a net, cones

Time

8–10 min

Bird’s-eye view: a short serve dropping in front of the attack line; the faint line shows the deep serve.

📍 Setup

Mark a short zone (between the net and the opponent’s attack line) and a deep zone (the last 2 m before the end line).

🪜 How to run it

1. Serve one ball short, into the zone in front of the attack line.
2. Serve the next ball deep, into the last 2 m of the court.
3. Keep alternating; the toss and approach should look the same for both.
4. Change only the contact: for short serves, contact slightly lower and with less follow-through.

🏆 Scoring

One point per serve that lands in the called zone. Count your best streak of alternating serves.

🧑‍🏫 Coaching this drill

What success looks like

Short serves drop quickly after the net; deep serves land near the line — and the passer can’t tell which is coming.

Coaching cues

Common mistakes

• Short serves go into the net. Fix: Keep the trajectory up over the tape; take power off, not height.
• Showing which serve is coming. Fix: Use one routine for every serve, and decide on the target before the toss.

When to move on

When you can hit 6 alternating serves in a row, try it with a float serve or a jump float.