If a ChangeUp is the second pitch every budding young pitcher learns...

[_MIA_]

...then why do only about 10%-15% of the 18U pitchers we face "have" a ChangeUp?

Question, do you lose only 10% of your games?

 

[heman1202]

That doesn't even make sense. If you can't throw your change-up for a strike we tell our batters not to swing at it. End of story.

Well I guess if you tell them not to swing then they definitely won’t swing. Because no hitters chase pitches. I’d like to see your team where plate discipline is 100%.

 

[BT3100]

My DD has a great change up.. wish her other pitches were nearly as good.
There are some teams that will look at 3 change ups in a row. Its insane.
However we also face teams that after the first few change ups they will shift their weight and swing. Very few If any times will the result be a hard hit ball. Around 85% of the contact is weak. Such a great pitch to have.

 

[corlay]

Question, do you lose only 10% of your games?

not *exactly* sure what you are implying, but...

If this pitch isn't effective or even necessary,
then why are we all wasting our time teaching this pitch to every 10U, 12U, 14U pitcher there ever was?

 

[_MIA_]

not *exactly* sure what you are implying, but...

If this pitch isn't effective or even necessary,
then why are we all wasting our time teaching this pitch to every 10U, 12U, 14u pitcher there ever was?

The point is unless you are beating all of these pitchers who don't throw a CU (at least in the games they played against you) then they are effective doing what they are doing. MLB pitchers don't all throw the same pitches...

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Well I guess if you tell them not to swing then they definitely won’t swing. Because no hitters chase pitches. I’d like to see your team where plate discipline is 100%.

That's an absurd strawman. No one said teams have 100% plate discipline. Good coaching is in the margins and if you tell your kids to lay off the change-up for pitcher "X" you have shifted the margins slightly in your favor. That's what a good coach does.

There are two ways to deal with a change-up. One of them is learning to resist (in the swing) and the other is not recognize the change and not swing at it.

 

[corlay]

The point is unless you are beating all of these pitchers who don't throw a CU (at least in the games they played against you) then they are effective doing what they are doing. MLB pitchers don't all throw the same pitches...

ok - gotcha.

You are correct - all pitchers do not need to throw the same pitches to be effective.

But back to my point - then what is it about the ChangeUp in fastpitch that makes it "automatic" as a teach for the first pitch after simply "learning to throw strikes" (aka "fastball")?

If virtually ALL young pitchers learn a Change as their "second pitch", then why don't more 18U pitchers utilize it?
Why haven't more 18U pitchers mastered it?
I KNOW a good Change is VERY effective, so "effectiveness" can't be the reason.

 

[radness]

That doesn't even make sense. If you can't throw your change-up for a strike we tell our batters not to swing at it. End of story.

It is affective to throw pitches at different speeds to disrupt batters timing.

Many Change ups arc.
This appears originally to the batter as they will continue to be a strike.
When the speed is to slow to reach the plate. The bottom fall's out. And can go below the strike zone...even bounce at the plate.

Batters fooled by off speed/changes often swing befor the pitch reaches the plate by visual deception. And/or the off speed timing and then pitch changing angle ( going down)
create another adjustment for the batter.

Really good drops at speed can do this also.

 

[_MIA_]

If virtually ALL young pitchers learn a Change as their "second pitch", then why don't more 18U pitchers utilize it?
Why haven't more 18U pitchers mastered it?
I KNOW a good Change is VERY effective, so "effectiveness" can't be the reason.

I don't know much about softball pitching but I would assume that with many of the other pitches you need to be able to throw a minimum speed in order for the pitch to do much of anything (drop,rise,curve)? So it gets taught 1st. Once a kid starts to throw harder and can start throwing other pitches and make them do what they are intended to do, they may find that for whatever reason those pitches are more effective than their CU so they just go with it.

In baseball I know the CU is usually taught first because it doesn't place any extra stress on the arm unlike curve/slider but I would assume that really isn't the case in softball.

 

[BigSkyHi]

Not necessary to be able to throw a change up for a strike for it to be a fantastic pitch to use.
Bounce it in the dirt, on the plate, to the sides.

In 18's going to doubt pitchers dont have one in the tool box.
Would consider whomever is calling pitches doesnt recognize the importance of mixing in off speed. Unless there always utilizing off speed curves and/or drops?!

See plenty of pitchers throwing change at all age levels.
Dont see plenty of coaches calling great sequences without using the change/off speeds.

The purpose of the pitch is to screw with the hitter's timing and spatial recognition. It surely doesn't need to be in the strike zone.

How do you teach your hitters to 'lay off' these two change ups and how hard is it for a pitcher to master them?