Flip change speed

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Apr 20, 2017
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I was wondering at what speed girls are or can throw a flip change. My DD can not get enough speed added to her flip change to be as effective as it use to be. As her normal speed has increased the change is just not increasing. And we are at 20+ mph difference in her fast and change. Batters now have time to reload and square it up. I’m just wondering if you can throw a 50mph flip or it’s time to move to another change up.
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
I was wondering at what speed girls are or can throw a flip change. My DD can not get enough speed added to her flip change to be as effective as it use to be. As her normal speed has increased the change is just not increasing. And we are at 20+ mph difference in her fast and change. Batters now have time to reload and square it up. I’m just wondering if you can throw a 50mph flip or it’s time to move to another change up.
The experts say the change should be 10-15 MPH slower than hard stuff. I don’t think the speed is the only factor. The trick is to sell the change with the exact same motion as the fastball. Some girls telegraph their change-up by slowing their motion way too much. The key is to make every pitch look the same.
My daughter tops out at 58 MPH but her change is thrown with the same speed/motion and varies between mid 30’s to low 40’s. She also uses the flip change. We have dabbled with the peel drop and handshake change but she prefers the flip change.
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
The experts say the change should be 10-15 MPH slower than hard stuff. I don’t think the speed is the only factor. The trick is to sell the change with the exact same motion as the fastball.

The above are the important things to focus on with a change.

Having said that try all of the various styles and grips to perfect the change that your daughter throws the best and has the most confidence in.

As they get older you may have to modify (more knuckles, harder push, etc.) accordingly. We personally went with the Rick Pauley chaneup and it ended up being her primary pitch.

https://paulygirlfastpitch.com/products/change-up-creating-deception

Also, for the sanity of her future coaches....you have to be able to throw an change up for a stike (on the "U" in the strikezone).
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
I was wondering at what speed girls are or can throw a flip change. My DD can not get enough speed added to her flip change to be as effective as it use to be. As her normal speed has increased the change is just not increasing. And we are at 20+ mph difference in her fast and change.

Either:

(1) Your DD is giving away her change *OR*
(2) Your DD does not have sufficient control of the change.

Advanced batters will look for hints. If she is doing *anything* that is different from her fastball, they will pick it up. To help your DD, you've got to become analytically and a stickler.

E.g., my DD would have a slightly different movement of her hand when she got her grip with her drop ball. The batters picked it up.

Additionally, the success of any pitch is primarily about location. It doesn't matter how much the ball moved or how fooled a batter is...a pitch over the middle of the plate will get drilled.
 
Apr 20, 2017
152
28
I appreciate the responses so far and maybe I should have asked the question a little bit different. She is playing 12u A tournaments and throws her fast and drop cruising 59-61. She does not tip off her change that coaches or anyone can pick. She can locate it for strikes but we can’t get the speed up over 40. Which leaves about 20mph difference. For 75% of the hitters it works great but for the very elite hitters the speed difference seems to much and allows them to reload. We have been working hard on increasing the speed to get in that 12 mph difference. I’m wondering if we need to work more on a different change up and have two different speed changes or can you get the flip speed in high 40’s low 50.
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
Good hitters can detect that much of speed drop off before they have to initiate their swing. What kind of spin does her change have? If it has backspin then it will be difficult to increase the speed and I would look for another method. A lot of pitchers think they are throwing a flip change but aren't, if it doesn't have backspin it's not a flip. I rarely see successful flip changeups, most of the time they are too slow or the pitcher can't control it. I prefer the circle change, it's possible to get a little side spin on it and actually get some break.
 
Last edited:
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Either:

(1) Your DD is giving away her change *OR*
(2) Your DD does not have sufficient control of the change.

Advanced batters will look for hints. If she is doing *anything* that is different from her fastball, they will pick it up. To help your DD, you've got to become analytically and a stickler.

E.g., my DD would have a slightly different movement of her hand when she got her grip with her drop ball. The batters picked it up.

Additionally, the success of any pitch is primarily about location. It doesn't matter how much the ball moved or how fooled a batter is...a pitch over the middle of the plate will get drilled.

Yup. Even at 10 I'm telling my daughter I can always know when her change is coming because she keeps the ball in her glove longer before pitching. I've asked her to take a bit longer on her fastball to make them more similar.

And yes, young/new girls tend to slow down the delivery of the change-up, thinking they must do that to slow the ball down. But nope, they need a strong, powerful delivery just like a fastball and they need to trust the grip and the release to slow the ball down.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Good hitters can detect that much of speed drop off before they have to initiate their swing. What kind of spin does her change have? If it has backspin then it will be difficult to increase the speed and I would look for another method. A lot of pitchers think they are throwing a flip change but aren't, if it doesn't have backspin it's not a flip. I rarely see successful flip changeups, most of the time they are too slow or the pitcher can't control it. I prefer the circle change, it's possible to get a little side spin on it and actually get some break.

We gave up the flip change a while ago. For us, she was just more accurate with the horseshoe. I too, would think it hard to get the flip change faster.
 
Sep 19, 2018
928
93
Yup. Even at 10 I'm telling my daughter I can always know when her change is coming because she keeps the ball in her glove longer before pitching. I've asked her to take a bit longer on her fastball to make them more similar.
Ha!! My DD (also 10) is short (4'6'') and has small hands. It sometimes looks like she is having a fight with the ball trying to get the grip correct.
 

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