In volleyball, spiking is the offensive play where a player swings the ball with their palm sharply downwards over the net and into the opposing court, making it difficult for the opposing team to recover the ball. The mechanism of spiking is unique to volleyball, but its counterparts in other sports include slam dunking in basketball, smashing in tennis, or shooting in association football. Volleyball spiking became very popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the massive proliferation of beach volleyball as a popular sport. Well known beach professionals such as Karch Kiraly used the volleyball spike to score devastating points on their opponents as well as wow the crowd with the spike's air of theatricality. "Spiking" as it related to volleyball entered the international and American lexicon through video games, movies and the growing popularity of the AVP. In 1916 the “set” and “spike” was created in the Philippines where the six-sided play and three hits per side rule were instituted in the following years The spike is the most effective attack in high levels of play, used by each team to score points. It is generally on the third and final touch and involves an approach with footwork, a jump, and then an attack. It is a high-velocity shot with explosive movements that send the ball over the net which usually generates the most points during the game. The setter will usually toss the ball to the attacker, called a set, who will choose which attack they want to perform. As the spike requires highly coordinated movement patterns in the approach, the swing, and the landing, it is one of the more difficult skills to master in volleyball. Types Regular Spike The basic type of spike which, following the jump, the player draws the preferred hitting arm back, and the other arm pointing up, similar to a cocked bow. This is followed by a whip-like action of the hitting arm, striking the ball with the hand at full extension. This spike keeps the elbow above the shoulder throughout the entire swing. Contacting the back of the ball with an open hand in the shape of the ball will create top spin. The spike must be contacted above the net so that the ball be directed steeply downwards. The hand position helps with avoiding or hitting around the block. An angle or cross court shot involves wrapping