Change-up Help

Tango · Nov 6, 2020

Towny9 said:
I believe this is like the change up my DD throws. To be honest I’m not really sure because she came up with it on her own after watching a bunch of YouTube videos and experimenting. She makes a circle with index and thumb and tries to “throw the circle” to the catcher she says. Her spin on it is 12-6 like her fastball. Is that how the horseshoe spins or is it reverse like the flip change?

Horse shoe- grip with the thumb and index on the outside the horse shoe looking seam.,push it and let it drop out.

The one most of my pitchers throw- grip it just like your fastball and get the back off your hand to the catcher. Let your hand die at your back hip. Very easy if already throwing the flip.

radness · Nov 6, 2020

When i'm in the box i see the pitchers flip release/mechanic immediatly giving away change up is coming.
Its obvious because its so inconsistant to other releases.

Since there are other change up options that dont give them away immediately,
Pick another change up.

There are many other options.
From the pitchers feedback have experienced,...
Theres a great chance will have better control with something other than the flip.

Good Luck!

texasck1 · Nov 6, 2020

Assuming your DD is throwing with IR and not HE, tell her to throw her fastball, but lead with her thumb instead of her pinky. Sounds crazy over simplified, but it works. Takes most of the whip out of the arm and it looks almost identical to an IR fastball and still has a 12-6 spin which helps get it to drop and not float like a flip has a tendency to do.

This is what my DD does (1st yr 12U) and she can throw it for a strike most of the time. When she throws it right, it is hard to tell it from her FB till it's too late.

fanboi22 · Nov 6, 2020

If you watch Yukiko where they show a close up of her hand, you will see what DD has tried. It morphed from a flip to a horseshoe where the wrist tries to turn inward but essentially is releasing the ball as the back of the hand gets facing forward. We found to straighten arm slightly after 12 oclock as she is coming around creates less brush and an easier release for less speed. Similar to what Pauly states but not trying to turn as early.

Fury_Mike · Nov 6, 2020

texasck1 said:
Assuming your DD is throwing with IR and not HE, tell her to throw her fastball, but lead with her thumb instead of her pinky. Sounds crazy over simplified, but it works. Takes most of the whip out of the arm and it looks almost identical to an IR fastball and still has a 12-6 spin which helps get it to drop and not float like a flip has a tendency to do.

This is what my DD does (1st yr 12U) and she can throw it for a strike most of the time. When she throws it right, it is hard to tell it from her FB till it's too late.

This is very similar to what most of my students throw. Keys that I teach with it are:

Take pressure off of your pointer and middle fingers

Accelerate the arm on the down swing, turning thumb inward

Release (open your hand) when the hand crossed you back hip, at foot strike

Firm front side, front shoulder to target

Accelerate your drag (can’t anchor it)

Once they get comfortable with the release, developing arm action after release helps make the pitch more deceiving

some simple drills

Learn the feel for the release by doing simple step and throws into a net

have her throw the pitch and bounce it half way, then right before the plate, then hit the catchers glove

throw it with a baseball or 11” ball to work on the release

joe720 · Nov 6, 2020

CU's are weird. My DD throws two different kinds so if one isn't working she can go to the other.

I don't advocate dumping the flip, but learning another type is good backup.

ArmWhip · Nov 6, 2020

The spin can tell you what type of change up it is. If it is a flip, or backhand, it will have back spin. A lot girls think they throw it but don't. As others have said it's difficult to control, too slow, and knowlegeable hitters can pick it. I start with the horse shoe and use a circle grip, the index and thumb almost touch, it's exactly like a baseball circle change. I have them take the grip and start by throwing it overhand, the hand rotates inward as the ball is released out of the last three fingers, pinky leaves the ball last and it should come out with side spin. The hand needs to move fast and actually go past the ball after release. Then I have them throw it underhand and try to put a little curve ball spin on the ball. They also have to get the hand on top of the ball in the downswing, then come around the ball at release. I find that throwing it overhand really helps them get comfortable with the grip and the release. Also, sometimes focusing on putting a little curve spin on the ball helps.

BT3100 · Nov 6, 2020

Don't abandon the flip because people say it's too hard to learn.
My kid got recruited based on that pitch.
But in the end whatever best works for your DD.

lhowser · Nov 6, 2020

Here is a simple way to teach a change-up. I have taught it a lot and girls catch on quickly. Most good college changes I see are more or less this...even though some believe they are throwing a flip. Picked up the advice by reading how Cory Kluber throws his off-speed curve. Cory DOES NOT CHANGE GRIPS or PRESSURE POINTS. He says he simply pictures racing his fingers to the front of the ball before he releases it.

So here is what I teach:

1. Explain the reason the change-up works is because the fingers that provide speed (pointer and middle) are not behind the ball when you release it. They are beside it.

2. Throw the pitch just like a fastball (Internal Rotation of course) but once you hit brush start to race your fingers around the side to the front of the ball (like Cory).

3. At the bottom just at release your hand will be like a horseshoe facing down.

4. Finish as if your fingers are racing to the front of the ball.

5> Presto! consistent, understandable and a 8 - 12 mph difference.

Note video - This is NOT a flip but might appear so at full speed from a distance.

mmeece · Nov 6, 2020

lhowser said:
Here is a simple way to teach a change-up. I have thought it a lot and girls catch on quickly. Most good college changes I see are more or less this...even though some believe they are throwing a flip. Picked up the advice by reading how Cory Kluber throws his off-speed curve. Cory DOES NOT CHANGE GRIPS or PRESSURE POINTS. He says he simply pictures racing his fingers to the front of the ball before he releases it.

So here is what I teach:

1. Explain the reason the change-up works is because the fingers that provide speed (pointer and middle) are not behind the ball when you release it. They are beside it.

2. Throw the pitch just like a fastball (Internal Rotation of course) but once you hit brush start to race your fingers around the side to the front of the ball (like Cory).

3. At the bottom just at release your hand will be like a horseshoe facing down.

4. Finish as if your fingers are racing to the front of the ball.

5> Presto! consistent, understandable and a 8 - 12 mph difference.

Note video - This is NOT a flip but might appear so at full speed from a distance.

Building off of that, a similar idea is to force the hand to get ahead of the elbow at release. In other words, when the elbow leads on the way down, you get the whip into release. If the hand leads, you effectively kill the whip. Then, you can experiment with releasing the ball out the pinky side of the hand or just adding a little spin by pulling across the top of the ball.

Change-up Help

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