Power of the Change up

[Tango]

A couple of years ago I watched the JUCO National Champs play a team and the pitcher hit 55 once but changed speeds and got beat 1-0. The champs scored on a bunt in the last inning. The next game the new pitcher was hitting 60 and they scored 14-0 in the 1st.

 

[Hillhouse]

Thanks Bill. You've always said a good change is a game changer!

Except for me, many people think every pitch I threw was a change up. LOLOLOLOL

 

[Hillhouse]

There are exceptions but every great pitcher I ever played with/against had a world class change up. Not too many world champions didn't have one. Mike White's change was ridiculous.

 

[Vertigo]

It’s always been my DD’s most reliable pitch. I’d call it on a 3-0 count because I knew the batter would be sitting FB and dd could reliably float it in for a strike.

 

[slagothar]

Our coach was enamored with speed last year (second year 12U), and discounted my daughter's pitching (45 MPH vs. 50MPH for her daughter). DD worked on developing the change & screwball last year instead of focusing on speed, and now as a first year 14U team, has been the most effective pitcher on the team due to the ability to change speeds (now closing in on 50 MPH on fastball, too); 14U hitters can shell fastball only pitchers (as we are learning....). Coaches daughter finally started throwing change ups last weekend, but from a learning curve, is where DD was last year.

There is nothing as satisfying as watching girls swing out of the shoes before the ball passes home plate, or having them frozen as the ball floats across for a called strike 3 . At the very least, it takes a lot of the aggressiveness away from the swing, getting a lot of weak contact on all the pitches.

 

[canyonjoe]

It's the pitch that the best hitters worry about.

 

[MightyMO]

I love seeing these posts about change ups. My DD is no flame thrower but it's amazing how changing speeds can mess with batters even when her fastball isn't blowing by them.

Last year she guest played with a team at 14a nationals and I was lucky enough to call pitches for her. The team they were playing had speedsters batting 1 and 2 and then two really good power hitters. The last time through the lineup I called nothing but change ups to their clean up hitter. She took 2 for strikes then probably fouled off 4 of them before hitting a weak pop up to shallow left to end the game. She just couldn't square it up even when she knew it was coming. That was on a knuckle change that DD has been throwing for the last year or two.

 

[slagothar]

My older daughter had a 62+ MPH fastball, but nothing pleased her as much as striking someone out with a change up.

 

[uncdrew]

Love change ups. My 10U DD and I treasure those strikeouts above most others.

 

[Tango]

DD is 06 and is around 55. Was taught HE and converted to IR about a year age. Her HE pitching coach taught her a change that was awesome but different- you come down like a flip with your fingers pointing down at the ground and spin it like a top- your pinky should finish on your back hip. With that said, she has had trouble lately getting speed of of it.

Made a couple of adjustments and is throwing it with very good down and away movement at 42/43. Then throwing it the old way and just let it rip. Nasty at 53 yesterday.