Change-Ups: What is Best for Your Pitcher?

Hey There Friend!

Once your pitcher has good command of the strike zone, it's time to help her start developing a change-up or off-speed pitch!

For HITTERS, being ON-TIME to contact is a KEY component to consistent, solid contact!

For PITCHERS, changing speeds is one of the BEST tools she has to keep a hitter OFF-TIME or guessing when they are at the plate!

If you're the hitter, which pitcher would you prefer to face?

• A hard-thrower that doesn't change speeds often
• An average-speed pitcher that will change speeds confidently any time in the count

Most good hitters are picking the hard-thrower every day!

We tend to focus so much on the speed of a pitcher's fastball and not enough on how to make whatever that speed is MORE EFFECTIVE by mixing it with something slower OFTEN during games!

Your pitcher doesn't have to throw exceptionally hard to be dominate!

The key to helping your pitcher win battles against hitters often, is to teach her how to mix speed and location consistently.

There are many ways to take speed OFF the ball. Your pitcher must experiment with different ways to find what feels the best and most natural to her.

Here are some short instructional videos and explanations of the THREE most common types of change-ups that I teach to pitchers:

•  Flip/Backhand Change-Up
  
  • Key to taking speed OFF the pitch:
    • turning the hand BACKWARD before you release the ball to take away whip
• Horseshoe/Circle Change-Up
  • Key to taking speed OFF the pitch:
    • having your hand on TOP of the ball as you come into release
    • if you are using the circle grip, the circle should FACE YOUR TARGET at release
• Push/Shove/Knuckle Change-Up
  • Key to taking speed OFF the pitch:
    • getting BEHIND the ball and PUSHING out of your palm or off a finger nail or finger tip

It's important to let your pitcher experiment with DIFFERENT ways to take speed off the ball.

There is typically one way that is easier for her to "feel" and like!

I'm often asked, "how much speed difference should my pitcher have between her fastball and change-up?"

My answer is that there isn't an exact number. A general range that most change-ups fall into is between 8-20mph slower than a fastball.

How do you know if your change-up is EFFECTIVE?

Try to "fool" your catcher first!

Throw a random mix of fastballs and change-ups to her. Have her yell out which pitch is coming as soon as she knows. Your goal is to keep the pitch "hidden" from her until it is crossing the plate.

This is a great way to learn if you are "tipping" the pitch early!

• Do you take longer to get your grip?
• Do you get your grip on your leg and give the pitch away because of it?
• Can she see your grip early?
• Do you change something with your wind-up?
• Do you slow your arm or legs down?
• Does the path of your change-up go up in the middle and then down (does it have a "hump" on it)?

If you can fool your catcher well, have a teammate stand in the box and do the same thing.

This process is a GREAT way to SEE how deceptive your change-up is AND likely give you some feedback on the things that will help you make it even better!

Investing time in mastering a change-up BEFORE moving on to other pitches is important. If you can't throw a change-up confidently anytime in the count YET, keep working on it!

When you can throw 2 different speeds (a fastball and a change-up) on any count, you have the hitter exactly where you want her - uncomfortable, unsure, GUESSING!

Get to WORK on learning or improving your change-up as soon as you can throw your fastball in the zone consistently. It's THE PITCH that can take your game to the NEXT LEVEL this competition season!

All My BEST,

Myndie