Hitting the Change Up

[julray]

DD's team seems to have a really big issue with change ups... it's getting a little ridiculous. Teams have started pitching them the change up 50% of the time. I know, if getting a change up that much you should be sitting on it, expecting it and reacting to the fastball. Unfortunately this is not getting through to them. My DD alone has struck out 12 times this year, 11 times have been a change up for the 3rd strike. We've tried everything, with front toss I mix in change ups, she sits and hits those hard. So I understand what she needs to do, but I need some really good drills to reinforce hitting the change up. Also any kind of advice would be appreciated.

BTW, my DD says she recognizes the change right at release.. so it's not a matter of not seeing the pitch.. it seems more of a patience type issue.

But I have to ask... what is the best approach hitting a pitcher that throws hard with a devastating change up?

• Should the hitter load (negative move) and remain loaded until pitch recognition.
• Should the hitter start their stride (positive move) and controll the speed of it? Ie, increase tempo of stride for fastball while progressing slowly for a change up

Thanks everybody in advance!

 

[_MIA_]

DD's team seems to have a really big issue with change ups... it's getting a little ridiculous. Teams have started pitching them the change up 50% of the time. I know, if getting a change up that much you should be sitting on it, expecting it and reacting to the fastball. Unfortunately this is not getting through to them. My DD alone has struck out 12 times this year, 11 times have been a change up for the 3rd strike. We've tried everything, with front toss I mix in change ups, she sits and hits those hard. So I understand what she needs to do, but I need some really good drills to reinforce hitting the change up. Also any kind of advice would be appreciated.

BTW, my DD says she recognizes the change right at release.. so it's not a matter of not seeing the pitch.. it seems more of a patience type issue.

But I have to ask... what is the best approach hitting a pitcher that throws hard with a devastating change up?

• Should the hitter load (negative move) and remain loaded until pitch recognition.
• Should the hitter start their stride (positive move) and controll the speed of it? Ie, increase tempo of stride for fastball while progressing slowly for a change up

Thanks everybody in advance!

 

[Hawk_]

Throw them some pump fakes in practice to see if they are staying back or lunging (lungeing? I can't spell). If they aren't lunging then might just be mental mistakes. Think little big league and the float ball, gear up and swing and miss.

 

[julray]

Love the Arod approach in this vid, 1st batter


I think this pitch is more applicable to the fastpitch type change up. I normally find that the fastpitch change up is so insanely different in speed compared to the fastball. Of course that changes from pitcher to pitcher, but that's what I see the most.

Love how Arod strides and transfers his weight like he's expecting a fastball, but then stays back as well with enough power to hit it out of the park

 

[_MIA_]

Love the Arod approach in this vid, 1st batter


I think this pitch is more applicable to the fastpitch type change up. I normally find that the fastpitch change up is so insanely different in speed compared to the fastball. Of course that changes from pitcher to pitcher, but that's what I see the most.

That wasn't a changeup..that was an eephus pitch . TBH too big a difference in the speed between offspeed and fastball is just as bad as not enough difference. With too big a difference, a good hitter can "reset" like Arod does here, even if they are fooled. Good fastpitch changeups are not like El Duque's eephus pitch which was probably a 25-30 mph difference in speed. About 10 mph (15 max) in fastpitch (which would be equivalent to about 15 mph in baseball..which is about right) is what you typically see from good pitchers.

Key to hit a good changeup is to not bleed your coil/stretch. If you are fooled you will likely get into your front leg more than you usually do, like the Bonds video I showed.

To be honest this swing below from my DD would be an example (she does bleed a bit here) of what would putting a decent swing on a changeup would look like if you want to see an amateur...of course this wasn't a changeup and just a REALLY slow pitcher so this wasn't actually a good swing..nice timing kid...LOL

 

[julray]

That wasn't a changeup..that was an eephus pitch . TBH too big a difference in the speed between offspeed and fastball is just as bad as not enough difference. With too big a difference, a good hitter can "reset" like Arod does here, even if they are fooled. Good fastpitch changeups are not like El Duque's eephus pitch which was probably a 25-30 mph difference in speed. About 10 mph (15 max) in fastpitch (which would be equivalent to about 15 mph in baseball..which is about right) is what you typically see from good pitchers.

Key to hit a good changeup is to not bleed your coil/stretch. If you are fooled you will likely get into your front leg more than you usually do, like the Bonds video I showed.

To be honest this swing below from my DD would be an example (she does bleed a bit here) of what would putting a decent swing on a changeup would look like if you want to see an amateur...of course this wasn't a changeup and just a REALLY slow pitcher so this wasn't actually a good swing..nice timing kid...LOL

Yes in hardball a good change up is deceiving in a way that it marginally different speed than the fastball... however in softball an effective change up seems to be quite slower than the fast ball. Regardless, I'm not going to start an argument about that, the change ups that seems to be fooling my DD's team and my DD as well is vastly different in speeds. That's why I posted the youtube video, it more closely resembles the pitch that we are having difficulty with. Pitcher throws heat and then comes back with a slow change up

 

[_MIA_]

That's why I posted the youtube video, it more closely resembles the pitch that we are having difficulty with. Pitcher throws heat and then comes back with a slow change up

Ok if the pitchers you are facing are throwing lousy changups equivalent to El Duque's eephus pitch then just do what Arod did..problem solved

 

[julray]

Ok if the pitchers you are facing are throwing lousy changups equivalent to El Duque's eephus pitch then just do what Arod did..problem solved

Who said they are lousy? You think this girl has a lousy change up?


How about this

 

[julray]

Like I said I'm not getting into an argument what constitutes in Softball vs Baseball. Personal experience is change up in softball is more extreme than baseball and from a closer distance. You might believe differently, that's fine. I don't want to debate that... curious what approaches others have successfully and practically implemented to help their team/kid hit a pitcher with a good change up

 

[efastball]

Kids that uncoil (open their hips) too early during the stride are susceptible to missing off-speed pitches.