Change

[ArmWhip]

Can you explain this a little? Slow today.

The wrist can bend in 4 directions. Flexion and extension are the ones that we are most familiar with. Radial and ulnar deviation are the other two. This video shows radial deviation, ulnar is the other direction.

Wrist Radial Deviation - Interactive Biology, with Leslie Samuel

In this video, the motion of moving the wrist to the outside/laterally is wrist radial deviation. Wrist radial deviation is demonstrated from a position with the arm at the side of the body and the palm facing forward which is the anatomical position for the upper extremity as seen from a front...

www.interactive-biology.com

Many pitchers have radial deviation and it doesn't get noticed because you need good high speed video from behind the pitcher to see it. Try adding a little ulnar deviation to take some speed off.

 

[BoardMember]

Here are a couple different things to know/understand when learning to throw change up that might help you. Both involve creating dorsiflexion in the wrist early and holding it through the delivery.

1.). Shutting down any portion of the accelerator in the whipping action allows for the same physical effort with less velocity produced. That said, if you shut down I/R you shut down velocity. This can be accomplished in the delivery by turning the thumb inward by 9:00 just before release. This basically internally rotates the forearm very early, killing I/R before it becomes an accelerator. Creating dorsiflexion in the wrist and holding it further kills the mechanism that creates acceleration. This is the essence of the horseshoe change up. I believe we’ve had some excellent discussions on here in the past about the horseshoe change up.

2.). Another way is to change the position of the ball and accelerator to a position that it can’t do an efficient job creating velocity. This can be accomplished by placing the ball in the center of the I/R vs. on the outside of the whip created by I/R. This can be accomplished by creating and HOLDING dorsiflexion in the wrist EARLY (lifting the fingers), putting the hand directly on top of the ball and keeping it there. Allowing I/R with the hand directly on top the ball doesn’t add much to forward acceleration, but adds counterclockwise spin for a RH’r. See Ueno’s change in this thread. She dorsiflexes her wrist early, putting her hand directly on top the ball, holds the dorsiflexion, and throws with toned down but still present I/R.

 

[BoardMember]

BigSky, at :40 sec of this video, do you believe what he is stating is true? I only ask as i am not sure this individual is a good reference.

Terrible video........Guy has no clue how he throws a softball. Demo’s a push motion, hand on top, then throws with I/R.

 

[BigSkyHi]

Terrible video........Guy has no clue how he throws a softball. Demo’s a push motion, hand on top, then throws with I/R.

Yuppers. Only thing about his pitching I was looking was the grip and it worked.

 

[Tango]

Here are a couple different things to know/understand when learning to throw change up that might help you. Both involve creating dorsiflexion in the wrist early and holding it through the delivery.

1.). Shutting down any portion of the accelerator in the whipping action allows for the same physical effort with less velocity produced. That said, if you shut down I/R you shut down velocity. This can be accomplished in the delivery by turning the thumb inward by 9:00 just before release. This basically internally rotates the forearm very early, killing I/R before it becomes an accelerator. Creating dorsiflexion in the wrist and holding it further kills the mechanism that creates acceleration. This is the essence of the horseshoe change up. I believe we’ve had some excellent discussions on here in the past about the horseshoe change up.

2.). Another way is to change the position of the ball and accelerator to a position that it can’t do an efficient job creating velocity. This can be accomplished by placing the ball in the center of the I/R vs. on the outside of the whip created by I/R. This can be accomplished by creating and HOLDING dorsiflexion in the wrist EARLY (lifting the fingers), putting the hand directly on top of the ball and keeping it there. Allowing I/R with the hand directly on top the ball doesn’t add much to forward acceleration, but adds counterclockwise spin for a RH’r. See Ueno’s change in this thread. She dorsiflexes her wrist early, putting her hand directly on top the ball, holds the dorsiflexion, and throws with toned down but still present I/R.

If you throw fastball/drop with palm facing your instep what should be facing your instep with the backdoor change? Awesome info. Thanks

One of your post somewhere talks about the horseshoe and backdoor change and is great also. Thanks again

 

[fastpitch91]

If you want to throw hard you need whip, elbow whip, or I/r, or the more complex anatomic description from BoardMemeber. So you want to throw slow, get rid of the whip. Almost every variation of the change ( and there are a lot that are taught) translate into something where the pitcher reduces their whip. The pircher may think its teh "grip" but its the lack of whip that does the trick. Great changes have a fast arm, but crummy whip and are thrown with no arc and spin that looks like some other pitch - they are deceptive.

I personally like the backhand change where the hand is reversed at the top of the circle ( toe touch) and it locks the arm out nice and straight and you get no whip down the back side. But any grip that causes the pitcher to no whip ( mechanically, or by being different and a leraned no whip with that feel) will work. The verbal clue I find works well to learning players is "fast arm, no whip"

Now if they have no whip to start with, their fast pitch and their change going to be 3-5 mph different and thats not an effective change.

 

[ArmWhip]

If you throw fastball/drop with palm facing your instep what should be facing your instep with the backdoor change? Awesome info. Thanks

I believe that he means the palm faces in at 9:00 and right through release, this is a change up.

 

[Ken B]

Sharing this TO encourage pitchers find what works best for YOU.

Love this!