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Volleyball Serving Machine Buying Guide: Skill Attack vs Smash Attack vs Total Attack
A volleyball serving machine gives a player or a team something a coach's arm cannot: hundreds of identical, game-speed reps in a single practice. The question is which machine. The answer depends on who is training (one player or a full program), how fast the serves need to be, and whether the machine has to fit in a car trunk or live in a gym. This guide compares the three Sports Attack volleyball machines we carry: Skill Attack, Smash Attack and Total Attack.
Volleyball Serving Machine Basics: What Changes Between Models
Four things separate one volleyball machine from another. Top speed decides whether the machine can simulate the serves your players face in matches. Number of throwing wheels decides how much spin variety you get: more wheels give more control over topspin, backspin, floaters and breaking sidespin. Release point decides whether the machine can imitate a jump serve or an attack from above the net. Portability decides whether it can travel with the team.
Volleyball Serving Machine Comparison
| Factor | Skill Attack | Smash Attack | Total Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top speed | Up to 40 mph | 80+ mph | Up to 90 mph |
| Throwing wheels | 2 variable-speed motors | 2 (10 in × 4 in polyurethane) | 3 extra-wide wheels |
| Spin options | Downspin serves, breaking floaters, no-spin sets | Topspin, backspin, no-spin, breaking sidespin serves | Breaking sidespin, topspin, floaters |
| Release point | Over 5 ft | 6 ft 3 in to 9 ft 1 in | Full-court serve and attack drills |
| Head movement | Horizontal and vertical | Rotates 60° left and right, vertical travel | Dial-controlled spin and speed changes |
| Size | Breaks down to fit in a car trunk | 36 in wide, 58 in deep, 90–124 in tall | 34 × 33 × 80 in, 285 lb |
| Fits a standard door | Yes | Yes (3 ft doorway) | Check your doorway |
| Power | See product page | 90V | 90V |
| Best for | Individual players, youth and club teams | High school, club and college programs | Elite programs needing 90 mph serves |
Skill Attack: The Volleyball Machine for Individual Training
The Sports Attack Skill Attack is built for the serious young player and for youth club and school teams. It releases the ball from over five feet rather than floor level, serves with downspin or breaking floaters up to 40 mph, and delivers soft, no-spin sets for setter work. It breaks down to fit in a car trunk and rolls through any standard door, so it works in a backyard, a garage or a rented gym hour.
Smash Attack: Game-Speed Serving and Spiking
The Sports Attack Smash Attack is the step up for programs that need match-speed serve receive. Two 10-inch polyurethane wheels deliver topspin, backspin and no-spin balls at 80+ mph, including breaking sidespin serves. The counterweighted head raises the release point from 6 ft 3 in to 9 ft 1 in, so it simulates jump serves and attacks from above the net, and it rotates 60 degrees each way to target any zone. Despite that height range, it still fits through a standard 3-foot doorway for storage.
Total Attack: Three Wheels and 90 MPH
The Sports Attack Total Attack adds a third throwing wheel, which gives the widest spin variety in the lineup, and pushes top speed to 90 mph. Coaches change spin and speed with a turn of the dials between reps, so receivers cannot anticipate the next ball. At 285 lb it is a gym machine, not a travel machine. It ships with one ball bag and frame.
How to Choose a Volleyball Serving Machine
Choose the Skill Attack if you are training one player at home, coaching youth volleyball, or need a machine that travels in a car.
Choose the Smash Attack if you need serve speeds well beyond 40 mph and want jump-serve and attack simulation from a machine that still moves between gyms.
Choose the Total Attack if you run a college or elite club program and want the fastest serves and the most spin control.
The Smash Attack and Total Attack carry a two-year warranty for residential and institutional use (one year for commercial use), covering wear components such as throwing wheels, controllers and motors.
Accessories Worth Adding
Ball delivery speed is limited by how fast someone can feed the machine. A volleyball ball bag and frame kit keeps balls within reach, and a weatherproof machine cover protects the wheels and controls in storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best volleyball machine for an individual player?
The Skill Attack. It serves up to 40 mph, sets with no spin, releases the ball from over five feet and breaks down to fit in a car trunk.
Which volleyball machine can simulate jump serves?
The Smash Attack. Its release point adjusts from 6 ft 3 in to 9 ft 1 in, and it serves at 80+ mph with topspin, backspin, no-spin and breaking sidespin.
How fast does the Total Attack serve?
Up to 90 mph. It uses three throwing wheels for the widest spin variety in the Sports Attack lineup.
Will a volleyball machine fit through a gym door?
The Skill Attack fits through any standard door, and the Smash Attack fits through a standard 3-foot doorway. The Total Attack measures 34 x 33 x 80 in, so check your doorway before ordering.
How are Sports Attack machines shipped?
They ship direct from Sports Attack by freight carrier. We confirm the ship date by email after you order, and tracking follows once it ships.
Shop Volleyball Machines and Equipment
Compare all three in our Sports Attack volleyball machine collection, or browse nets, systems and training gear in our volleyball equipment collection. Peak Flow Fitness is an authorized Sports Attack dealer. Machines ship direct by freight carrier, and orders over $999 ship free (certain exclusions apply).
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