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May 12, 2016
4,338
113
In my experience, change ups (more so than other pitches) are very regionalized in what people learn. In one region you have a lot of "back flip change ups" in another region you have a lot of "pop out". I've known several California pitchers (where she's from) that throw spinner change ups. I'm 99.999% sure she got it from her dad but, I have no idea where he got his info. While what few male pitchers remain in the country don't see pitching coaches, guys that want to learn simply do so by asking questions of the pitchers on their men's beer league teams. I'm guessing someone taught Dani's father this, and he passed it on to her.

Bill
A lot of the male pitchers in Canada(East Coast) throw the knuckle has their change up.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
Any recommendations to actually see the spin on video? I've been using Technique by Hudl, but it only captures a frame every foot or so. I can see it occasionally when catching, but as DD starts to throw harder and I keep getting slower I prioritize not catching it with my face ;)

First off, learn to see spin. This goes for coach, mom/dad, pitcher and catcher. The easiest way to build awareness is to use a ball with darkened seams. This makes the axis and spin direction easy to see (a striped ball only helps you to see a stripe.) Look for dark or yellow dots on the ball. With perfect spin (axis perpendicular to path,) there should be no dots.

Next, get an iPhone 6 or higher with slow motion and take your video in good lighting. The iPhone does amazingly well with slo-mo.

Once you/she/they have spin awareness, transfer that to a regular ball and you'll find a whole new world opening up. Use that awareness to refine spins from whatever distance and effort it takes to get perfect spin. Build from there.

 
Last edited:
Jan 6, 2018
221
43
First off, learn to see spin. This goes for coach, mom/dad, pitcher and catcher. The easiest way to build awareness is to use a ball with darkened seams. This makes the axis and spin direction easy to see (a striped ball only helps you to see a stripe.) Look for dark or yellow dots on the ball. With perfect spin (axis perpendicular to path,) there should be no dots.

Next, get an iPhone 6 or higher with slow motion and take your video in good lighting. The iPhone does amazingly well with slo-mo.

Once you/she/they have spin awareness, transfer that to a regular ball and you'll find a whole new world opening up. Use that awareness to refine spins from whatever distance and effort it takes to get perfect spin. Build from there.


I can't speak for all Galaxy phones, but my 8 also has great slo-mo. Count me in as someone who finds good video to be absolutely vital in perfecting this movement.
 
May 15, 2008
1,913
113
Cape Cod Mass.
The brighter the lighting the higher the shutter speed, so less blurring more clarity. Without supplemental lighting video taken indoors will always have blurring. That's ok for basic body images but for wrist, hand and ball which are moving faster there won't be any clarity.
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
First off, learn to see spin. This goes for coach, mom/dad, pitcher and catcher. The easiest way to build awareness is to use a ball with darkened seams. This makes the axis and spin direction easy to see (a striped ball only helps you to see a stripe.) Look for dark or yellow dots on the ball. With perfect spin (axis perpendicular to path,) there should be no dots.

Next, get an iPhone 6 or higher with slow motion and take your video in good lighting. The iPhone does amazingly well with slo-mo.

Once you/she/they have spin awareness, transfer that to a regular ball and you'll find a whole new world opening up. Use that awareness to refine spins from whatever distance and effort it takes to get perfect spin. Build from there.


^^^^^This^^^^^ Thx Ken, you stated that perfectly. We tried all the striped, half dyed, etc. balls throughout the years (still have a few in the buckets) but after working with Java a few times he convinced us about learning to read the seams. Game balls won't have stripes....!! ;-)
 

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