Stuggling with change-up

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Jul 25, 2011
680
16
Southern Illinois
We have a young lady pitching on our 12u team that is really struggling with her change up. She has been trying to learn the backhand flip but can't get her hand turned over in time to get the right rotation on the ball. The pitch ends up coming out of her hand at almost the same speed as her fb with various speeds and very lil accuracy.
I think she should attempt to learn other types of change ups and find something that works for her. Any suggestions?
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
Palm ball. Plus since it "floats" it can have a knuckling effect.

Some really good pitchers have trouble with the flip, I have no clue why but they do.
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
My knuckles start to turn down, when my hand is at 9 o'clock (straight behind me.) I keep a straight, stiff wrist and I release the ball, in front of or at my front foot. Yes, the ball is against the palm of my hand.

Give her a bucket of balls and a place that she can toss them into a laundry basket. (I send my student home with a basket of old softballs.) Then, start her however close to the basket that she needs to be, to have some success. Then, scoot back little by little.
Tell her to "come hard." She wants the windup to look like a fastball. And then at the last instance "put the brakes on."

Some girls just invent their own change up. Whatever works. I see some really good "push" or "shove" change ups, too.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
Please explain?

Well I can't find a YouTube video of a softball palm ball, I'll keep looking. It may just be in the middle somewhere of a 3-4 min video of 4-5 other pitches.

Palm ball you want to shove all the way back into your hand, not mid or or on the fingers like other pitches. Because the further "in" the hand the slower the ball mph. Grip it with all 4 fingers and thumb for balance. Same wind mill as any other pitch with the wrist kinda like as a fastball, but it stays more down and doesn't "flip" like a FB wrist.

Really all your doing is "opening" the fingers and letting the ball come out of the "trap". ( pushing/shoving may be what Amy calls it? ) It usually has very little spin or none at all. Now it has it's pros and cons.

Con: no/little spin can be detected by the batter, so it can alert them
Pro: it comes just a tad faster than a flip CU, but has a knuckling effect so it moves unpredictably. It's very easy to learn.

Sorry its BB, just turn your hand upside down to get an idea. I'll keep looking for FP video. AOL On - How to Pitch a Palmball
 
Apr 5, 2009
748
28
NE Kansas
One thing that might help her is to have her come up the front side of the circle with her palm turned to the same orientation that she will be releasing it at. Something about that seems to help many kids or dads. ;)
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
My dd also throws a change this way... Amy's advice is spot on. Pay close attention to the wrist... if she flips her fingertips to the sky then you can expect massive backspin (floater). Keep the wrist stiff with fingernails towards the catcher and release the ball at the stride foot, but never allow the hand to come higher than the belt.
 
Feb 27, 2011
19
0
SC
Agree with Amy, would add, have her have change up sessions
Where she spends a LOT of time on change ups, younger p
Tend to spend to much time on FBs .Neglecting change ups
 

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