What would you have done different?
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I think you guys have hit the proverbial nail on the head. Why throw a changeup in HS when that is in the wheelhouse of most HS players.
DD is a junior and has started all of her sophomore and junior HS games and all but two of her freshmen year for varsity. I'm probably a bit on the high side when I say she has thrown maybe 30-35 changeups during that time. (all during this school year)
Fortunately, her new TB coach is demanding that she throw it.
I think you guys have hit the proverbial nail on the head. Why throw a changeup in HS when that is in the wheelhouse of most HS players.
DD is a junior and has started all of her sophomore and junior HS games and all but two of her freshmen year for varsity. I'm probably a bit on the high side when I say she has thrown maybe 30-35 changeups during that time. (all during this school year)
Fortunately, her new TB coach is demanding that she throw it.
This is terribly flawed thinking, IMO.
If you ave a good changeup, its effective against ALL batters.
I just did some checking of my pitch charts.
So far in HS JV ball, DD has thrown ~20% change ups, against the better hitting teams,
and ~%10 against the weaker ones.
Here's some interesting stats:
in two games vs. weak teams, she threw 26 change ups.
10 swinging K's
1 looking K
4 Fouls
11 B
1 ground out to pitcher.
so, what I see is she *may* be locating it a little too carefully (a 2:1 K/BB ratio, vs. 1.3:1 would be better) outside the zone
but the glaring stat is not one single hit, and only 1 of 26 pitches thrown was put into play.
Last edited:
- Nov 18, 2013
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Like others I would have made her use a changeup more in travel and HS. It was too easy to get into the trap of “why throw a change up when they can’t touch her fastball”. Like most other D1 pitchers she’s still trying to develop a good change. She has one, she just doesn’t have one that will consistently entice hitters to swing. In HS and travel her change didn’t have to be good. They were so worried about speed they’d be way ahead and not be able to pull back. You don’t get that luxury in college. They lay off it or launch it when they see it coming.
As for college coaches, last year they changed everything about the way she pitched. Not so much her style, but she used to be all riseballs and fastballs. They decided she should be a drop ball pitcher. It took her a while to get command of that which might be part of the reason we have a new coaching staff. This season they’ve made some adjustments, but not as drastic. She’s much more consistent on her drop and getting more movement. Another adjustment is they want her to induce ground balls and aren’t as worried about K’s. They mainly just don’t want walks. I’m sure they’d like more K’s, it’s just not priority right now. That’s hard to get used to when for so long the pitchers job was to strike girls out. The change is still a work in progress. She’s added an off-speed drop which has helped. At least they can’t just wait for something in the zone and tee off.
As for college coaches, last year they changed everything about the way she pitched. Not so much her style, but she used to be all riseballs and fastballs. They decided she should be a drop ball pitcher. It took her a while to get command of that which might be part of the reason we have a new coaching staff. This season they’ve made some adjustments, but not as drastic. She’s much more consistent on her drop and getting more movement. Another adjustment is they want her to induce ground balls and aren’t as worried about K’s. They mainly just don’t want walks. I’m sure they’d like more K’s, it’s just not priority right now. That’s hard to get used to when for so long the pitchers job was to strike girls out. The change is still a work in progress. She’s added an off-speed drop which has helped. At least they can’t just wait for something in the zone and tee off.
