It's worth checking out IMO. You can get the whole DVD for about what a 30 to 60 minute lesson will cost you.
Change up
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It's worth checking out IMO. You can get the whole DVD for about what a 30 to 60 minute lesson will cost you.
- Oct 31, 2010
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My daughter loves the flip but was struggling with getting it in the zone, she was either too high or or it was hitting the ground before it got to the plate. We tried SEVERAL different grips and she has now fallen in love with one and doing great with it. It's really close to her fastball grip but she has her pointer finger bent down and pushed up toward the seam (close to a circle change grip but not exactly).
My 11YO DD uses the flip change. Her PC tried several different CU's and thought the flip change worked best. PC told me the CU would make her fastball faster and it did. During practice if she throws several CU's the next fastball is like a bullet. She is still working on going back and forth between pitches. Her stride length is slightly different for each pitch, so it takes time to become comfortable throwing both pitches. PC doesn't focus on throwing CU for a strike and would rather the pitch "die" in the dirt before the plate. I was worried about that, but after seeing several batters swing early for a pitch that never reaches the plate has me sold.
I think several other have beaten this horse but not sure of the thread so here goes.... Why would you not want it as a strike!? This is a great pitch and can/will freeze hitters.
I want my daughter to learn it to throw off the timing of the batters. Had a coach helping his girls by saying 1, when my dd arm was at the top of the circle, 2 at release, 3 for the swing. It would've been great to have her throw it when he was timing it for his girls.
- Oct 31, 2010
- 133
- 0
Softball tips: How to throw a change-up - YouTube
I used this video to help DD see it for herself, she uses a slightly different grip but the release is the same.
- Feb 3, 2011
- 1,880
- 48
Wouldn't he just delay his '3' call? Coaches are supposed to help their players.
There's nothing wrong with practicing the pitch in games, but with respect to achieving success - both individual and team - at the 8u level, the value of the CU is practically zero.
I would disagree with this statement. The effectiveness of the change-up is in direct relationship to how fast and accurate she throws the fastball, has nothing to do with age. For example, if you are a 8U pitcher and throw in the high-30s, a change-up in the low 30s is an effective pitch, especially to the better, more aggressive batters. You want your change-up to be about 20 - 30% slower than your fastball for it to be the most effective. It's all about messing up the batter's timing.
I recommend once a pitcher is semi-accurate with her fastball (6 - 12 months?), start working on the change-up and experiment with different grips to determine which one works best for her. And absolutely use it in games, even if it isn't thrown correctly everytime. And remember, DO NOT slow down the arm circle, the grip and mechanics will automatically take the speed off of the pitch.
I asked a very successsful, D1 power hitter what her least favorite pitch was to hit and she told me it's the change-up (off speed pitch). It levels the playing field with all of these hot bats and narrowing strike zones. Never too early for a pitcher to start working on it.
I agree. I waited to long with oldest daughter and she didn't have the confidence to throw it. Starting early with the youngest. My DD is throwing 70-75% strikes. Estimate. I want her to get comfortable with it in games.
