Using the change up

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Oct 4, 2016
176
18
Hey all -

My dd is 11 and is finishing up her first full year of travel and it's been a great year! I'm writing because I've seen something recently that is confusing me with her change up. For pretty much all of the spring and most of the fall nobody could hit her change when she threw it close to the zone. Recently, though, more people are hitting it, not hard, but it seems very strange and I'm wondering if because of her fb speed now, and the fact that very few are able to catch up to it, if when the change comes, and they swing it's helping them out by allowing them to catch up.

She throws a very nice flip change that comes in at around between 36 and 38 mph and there is no arm speed change. Her fastball is between 49 - 51. Most of the time batters are way late on the FB but when the CU comes on 0 -2, 1 - 2 and even early in the count sometimes, they can hit it. Now, when she came into the TB circuit her speed was between 45 - 47 and change was 35 - 36ish. Do you think the difference in speed is a reason this could be happening? Obviously now a lot of teams know she has the change and in those obvious counts if she hangs it in the zone they could just be getting lucky, but how then, do we fool people with it? On Sunday we got behind in the first inning when they got two hits off change ups and then the #4 hitter hit one down right foul line.

So we went away from the change and they couldn't catch up to her. She probably only threw 2 or 3 more in the next 6 innings.

My question after all that info that may or may not have been helpful is this: Because most of the batters she is facing are overmatched by her speed, is there even a need to use the CU other than to help her develop it. Are we helping the batters that swing way too late, or don't swing at all when she throws it now? We have state tournament this weekend and will likely see that team again in the finals or semis as well as another team that is similar and I just want to have a plan in place. We are working on getting her more confident with her drop ball but the change has so often been a great out pitch for her it seems a shame to leave it in her bag.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

AD
 
Sep 3, 2015
372
63
Maybe just use it as a waste pitch to show the hitters something different, out of the zone. Keep throwing it. She will need it soon.

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Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
If batters are "way late" on the FB, many times throwing a CU will only speed up their bat and help them out.

But if they are hitting the CU because you only call it on certain counts, they could be sitting on it.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
DD hits good, I am not sure she has seen a changeup she has not swung at missed. Her attack. She will clobber a fastball.

DD throws flip change too, if batter can not handle fastball, OK to throw changeup but it better not be close close th strike zone.
 
Sep 28, 2015
150
18
Lots of variables that can explain it but in the short term for this weekend just be sure that she keeps it low. As others have said hopefully the coach is reading the batters correctly and not helping them.

Long term if she is playing at the correct level of competition you should not expect a lot of the same ugly early swing strikeouts because the batters are better with experience. It still happens but it will mainly be used to get a weak hit and/ or set up pitch.


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Aug 23, 2016
359
43
Does she have a tell? Last summer DD's all-star team figured out one pitcher's tell (when starting her delivery, she brought her glove straight back for a fastball, and off to the side a little bit for her change) and they were on top of it every time. It was subtle, but some girls have eagle eyes.
 
Oct 4, 2016
176
18
Does she have a tell? Last summer DD's all-star team figured out one pitcher's tell (when starting her delivery, she brought her glove straight back for a fastball, and off to the side a little bit for her change) and they were on top of it every time. It was subtle, but some girls have eagle eyes.

I don't think so - but even if she does it's not something I'm guessing many 9, 10, 11 year olds are picking up. I do think she needs to bring it down and if I could figure out how to get her to throw it a tad slower I think that would help. Slowing down the arm seems to be counter to the idea behind the flip-change so maybe it will just come back into play again next year at 40'.
 
Apr 12, 2015
792
93
A change up is a good pitch to throw at any time, but a good general rule to follow is don't throw it for a strike to a batter who is consistently behind the fastball. Keep it out of the zone and use it as a pitch to keep the batter off balance and hopefully chase.

I do think she needs to bring it down and if I could figure out how to get her to throw it a tad slower I think that would help.

If her fastball and change speeds are accurate, you have a good speed differential. Don't try to slow it down more. Might work better for 10U, but she'll get the dreaded rainbow when she moves back to 40'.
 
Last edited:

shaker1

Softball Junkie
Dec 4, 2014
894
18
On a bucket
I noticed with our bunch over the past few years, a flip is pretty common in 9-12, and very effictive. You'll see alot of bad swings, coaches, kids, and the parents love it. But as the hitters advance, the flip becomes less effective, they reload and usually hit it hard. And if it's a pitch that hitters are seeing every at bat, usually for the K, they just wait on it, especially if the pitcher has some heat. I never understood why a coach would throw a change to a batter that couldn't catch up to the fastball. If you can place it, keep it low or off the plate. Teams need to know you have it, but not every batter needs to see it. Not to say the flip isn't a good pitch for older kids, I just see more of a circle or horse shoe change these days.
 

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