Change up

[Rocketech1]

The flip change is pretty nasty if she learns how to add a touch of side spin. By simply rotating the thumb downward during the release the ball will will spin down and out creating an off speed drop curve.

This is exactly how my DD throws her flip change. There is no conscience effort to "flip" the ball, she just tries to finish across her body which causes her prior to release to pull the ball from right to left and the ball moves down and away from a right handed batter.

One thing to keep in mind is most coaches teach batters to not swing at a change up unless there are two strikes. I don't agree with this strategy but watch most games and rarely is a c/u hit hard with less than two strikes no matter which type is being thrown. My DD could never get use to the circle change and the second one she tried was the flip. She has used it ever since and is what I would call her signature pitch. But in full disclosure she practices it as much as any other pitch and sometimes releasing it too early or too late. Hillhouse said something important, the release and finish of ever pitch should look just like a fastball. No matter if it's a riseball, curve, drop ball or changeup. This advice has always stuck with me when working with DD on her pitches, especially the c/u.

 

[cbullard]

Thanks everybody. She really likes the flip change. The way she throws it...it naturally starts to curve to the left (her left). She fights like crazy to get hand/wrist to flick it straight. But, it won't. For a visual...think of some of her palm ending up facing the 3rd base line. She said it feels natural to do it that way. I'm wondering if I should let her continue to do the flip in that way? It actually looks good. It spins, goes fast/then dies...but it breaks to the left (the catchers right shoulder).

 

[JJsqueeze]

Thanks everybody. She really likes the flip change. The way she throws it...it naturally starts to curve to the left (her left). She fights like crazy to get hand/wrist to flick it straight. But, it won't. For a visual...think of some of her palm ending up facing the 3rd base line. She said it feels natural to do it that way. I'm wondering if I should let her continue to do the flip in that way? It actually looks good. It spins, goes fast/then dies...but it breaks to the left (the catchers right shoulder).

if her arm motion doesn't slow down but the ball comes out about 75-80% slower than a normal pitch then it is an effective change.

At last night's practice we had three pitchers. two with flip changes (back spin) one with the drop curve spin (backdoor change) you describe (my DD). The flipper's changeups were slower by about 3-4 MPH, but the backdoor changer located it better. Both are effective in games so just go with what works each will have challenges to perfect it. My DD needs to scrub a little speed more consistently to be most effective, most flippers have a tendency to throw really low/high on occasion so they need to work on locating it. Once perfected both can be really effective. You should worry more about finding a coach that will call it often enough to let it do it's job than perfecting the backspin.

 

[JJsqueeze]

JJ,

Lacey throws a flip? The pitches I've seen her throw have me thinking that the flip is not one of them... just curious if she says she does, or if you're going off your own... or the words of someone else.

I've seen her throw: a full speed screw that she keeps super low (63-64mph), an off-speed curve that she throws low to mid (54-55mph), a level 3 rise (57-58mph), roll-drop (61-63mph), and two change-ups... one at 40-41 and that 'Walchange' which is usually 42-44 mph.

What I've noticed with Lacey... is that her level of 'brush' gets further away from her body the lower the speed of the pitch. The change-up she throws... to me... she's palming that ball... and flipping something in your palm is kinda difficult. I call her "Walchange" the "chickenitis change"... she's working hard to get her hand AROUND the ball... almost like some bad curve/backdoor instruction you still see from time-to-time. Her elbow wings way out... and then proceeds to straighten into a hyperextended snap (the 'itis' in tendonitis). Perhaps it's a palm/backdoor... or some other combination... but I just don't 'see' the flip.

I'd genuinely be curious to hear what she calls it... so let me know where you're getting that info.

I got it from the direct observation from watching her a lot in the WCWS. The only description I have heard was when Mike white called it a "floaty changy thingy". The thing I am keying on is that her CU floats a lot but does not move side to side, so I reasoned this can't happen without a lot of backspin....and that significant backspin can only be created on a pitch that slow using a flip.

he changeup is so much floatier than others that I do not see any other way of explaining it. Maybe there is another way of scrubbing that much speed and still getting that much spin without a flip though.

 

[JJsqueeze]

I tweeted her to settle this for us JS....maybe she'll respond...

 

[Rocketech1]

Thanks everybody. She really likes the flip change. The way she throws it...it naturally starts to curve to the left (her left). She fights like crazy to get hand/wrist to flick it straight. But, it won't. For a visual...think of some of her palm ending up facing the 3rd base line. She said it feels natural to do it that way. I'm wondering if I should let her continue to do the flip in that way? It actually looks good. It spins, goes fast/then dies...but it breaks to the left (the catchers right shoulder).

I wouldn't mess with it if she is comfortable with it as you say. In fact, I prefer the flip having sideways movement like you describe instead of pure back spin / up and down movement. Make sure she throws it hard and doesn't slow down her arm circle. Nasty pitch if she can throw it consistently.

 

[javasource]

I tweeted her to settle this for us JS....maybe she'll respond...

I sent her an email inviting her to the thread... or just to spill the beans... either way, we'll get the answer!

 

[JJsqueeze]

She'll either answer or we will both have restraining orders for stalking by COB

 

[Conan the Grammarian]

I got it from the direct observation from watching her a lot in the WCWS. The only description I have heard was when Mike white called it a "floaty changy thingy". The thing I am keying on is that her CU floats a lot but does not move side to side, so I reasoned this can't happen without a lot of backspin....and that significant backspin can only be created on a pitch that slow using a flip.

he changeup is so much floatier than others that I do not see any other way of explaining it. Maybe there is another way of scrubbing that much speed and still getting that much spin without a flip though.

I agree I hate the flip change..My biggest gripe about it is it gives the batter time to re set in many instances. It is also not a well placed pitch most of the time! Id say show it but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[Doug Romrell]

She'll either answer or we will both have restraining orders for stalking by COB

What if her answer is incorrect? ;-)