Change up

DD likes the horseshoe change. We tried the flip and it frustrated her. Horseshoe was easy to learn and effective.

Circle change is what my daughter went to after doing the flip for a season. She likes the circle change way better. I guess maybe more control over it ?

When done right the flip is awesome. I watched a girl throw a flip change that looked 60+mph coming in and would suddenly stop and drop on home plate. It was amazing how it fooled the hitters. This was at 16u

Thanks everyone! My daughter is 11. She just started pitching this year. I've posted videos of her on the site. She's making nice progress. What is the difference between the horseshoe and a circle? I'm not familiar with the different pitches. She found out about the flip from a former Nebraska pitcher who told her that if she can get the flip...it'll be golden.

What I've come to find over the years... is that what some call a flip, etc... is different than what I think it is. To me, a flip has backspin... with the fingers forward and a flick of the wrist... and every once in awhile, even some of the best hang one. Hanging a pitch with backspin is a good recipe for clearing the bases. Michelle said she throws one, but I see more of a horseshoe... where her fingers are placed on the inside and outside of the ball, not in front and behind at release. I see nimble fingers and an extended wrist... whereas many 'flippers' throw with more of flexed wrist (to flip).

Cbullard, Ken B recently posted some change-up links... do a search for that... or perhaps he can assist on this thread, too. PAGING KEN B!!!!

I'd really recommend looking into the horseshoe, as it's tough to get across the plate without full effort... and selling a change... as well as placing it (low and out) are what I feel leads to a change being an effective pitch.

Ask hitters who faced Lacey Waldrop about how good a flip can be. My DD doesn't throw it but I think it would great to have, that backspin can really make a batter think it is travelling faster than it is.

JJsqueeze said:

Ask hitters who faced Lacey Waldrop about how good a flip can be. My DD doesn't throw it but I think it would great to have, that backspin can really make a batter think it is travelling faster than it is.

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Yes, I agree with the above. Make sure for whatever changeup is selected that it has good spin on it! It helps confuse the hitter.

I like riseball's advice to try many. There are many (maybe more than any other pitch) ways to throw a change. The best changes look like they'll be fast and are easy to control. It can take some tinkering and playing with different cues, feels and grips. Hope these help:

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/18165-do-do-3.html#post230916
Untitled Document
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/19397-lacey-waldrop-change-up.html
http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/18866-trouble-change-up.html

Here is a link that goes into detail on how to throw the horseshoe.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-pitching/9274-best-change-up-grip-small-hands-2.html

As has been pointed out, it all depends on how the change is taught. There are different variations, and usually an experienced pitching coach will have little nuances you won't find in a general video or book that can help.

I teach a change where the back of the hand comes through first, but there's no flip at the end. It's designed so you have to throw it hard, with lots of arm speed, to get it there. It's been effective at the D1 college level - when coaches remember to call it.

The arm speed is what most hitters are using for their timing. That's why a pitcher with an odd, herky-jerky motion can be tough to hit, even on the fastball. Also, I think, why a lot of hitters have trouble hitting off a pitching machine. A slow feed followed by a 60+ mph pitch is tough to time.

The most important thing for your daughter's changeup is that she doesn't have to slow her arm down to throw it. If she does that it's not a change, just a bad fastball. I've seen plenty of those and they do get rocked. You might as well hold up a sign that says you're throwing a changeup now.