Know a pitcher who threw mostly change ups?

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Jun 26, 2020
204
28
Both of my girls throw a lot of changeups. Sometimes as many as 70%. If you can't hit it you'll be guaranteed to see more. They range from very low 40s to mid 50s. It makes their fastballs look like bolts of lightning
 
Jun 26, 2019
256
43
I talked to One young lady that gave my dd sevral lessons. She throws two different fast balls, two seam and four seam, changing only the grip, a change up and sevral off speed pitches that have different movements. She only throws one or two fastballs per at bat then alternates between a change up and one of several movement pitches.
she choses one movement pitch to throw each game and usually chooses one type of fastball to throw that game. She said something to the effect of, I have more pitches than I throw each game, and each game I just pick the ones that work that day. A couple fastballs per at bat, a couple of one movement pitch per at bat, and quite a few changeups sometimes more than half, sometimes not. When she was giving my dd lessons, she had just graduated hs after winning a state title and finishing runner up the following year, she is currently pitching very successfully in a solid d2 program
 
Jan 27, 2010
1,871
83
NJ
we had a young lady that lived on the change up. She could throw it for strikes which forced the batter to defend. She'd throw it back to back for strikeouts and we'd howl in the bleachers. I actually felt bad for some of the kids that struck out multiple times to this kid.
 
Apr 16, 2013
1,113
83
I've seen several pitchers that threw mostly offspeed with a fastball as just a secondary pitch. I don't see those pitchers lasting deep into 18u territory. Personally, my DD would just wait on that changeup if she knew it was coming in the next pitch or two. Time it up like a slow pitch on a silver platter and foul off the fastball till she got it. However, I think that can also be the difference between a skilled battery that sees a batter's weaknesses. Often times that's the coach. Sometimes, first time through the lineup, you do have to guess some. However, every swing tells you something. On a skilled batter, I think a changeup only works if they're expecting something else. HOWEVER, a pitcher that throws a changeup, then a drop curve at around the same speed with a strong FB... yeah, that pitcher can kick some a**. (Stating of course they can "locate" with acceptable skill.) Change of spin as much as speed kills 'em.
 
Apr 26, 2019
222
43
I started thinking of this topic because
Yesterday I went to a varsity High School game where the pitcher did a fairly good job through the first four innings.
( was told beforehand she only has four innings in her and sure enough the first pitch of the fifth inning it was obvious she was done)
They really don't have another pitcher.
The other teams start crushing at this point.
And the terrible team defense gets exposed. (they can handle dribblers, not shots)
My solution thinking is immediately change strategy and resort to something like 50% to 75% change ups and hit the farther off plate edges with wild'ish pitches.

There going to have to try something.
Every pitcher should have a good or usable change up.

Think there are times its the best weapon in the arsenal!

My daughter's last team, 12U, had a pitcher like you just referenced. She was good to ok, depending on the day for 2 or three innings (heat index came into play). After that she was gassed. We could be up 7-1 and inevitably would end up losing because the coach somehow thought she'd recapture her form.

Watching with "neutral" parents from teams not involved you could even hear the ones that knew anything commenting to each other once she was done that she was finished.
 
Nov 22, 2019
297
43
I've seen several pitchers that threw mostly offspeed with a fastball as just a secondary pitch. I don't see those pitchers lasting deep into 18u territory. Personally, my DD would just wait on that changeup if she knew it was coming in the next pitch or two. Time it up like a slow pitch on a silver platter and foul off the fastball till she got it. However, I think that can also be the difference between a skilled battery that sees a batter's weaknesses. Often times that's the coach. Sometimes, first time through the lineup, you do have to guess some. However, every swing tells you something. On a skilled batter, I think a changeup only works if they're expecting something else. HOWEVER, a pitcher that throws a changeup, then a drop curve at around the same speed with a strong FB... yeah, that pitcher can kick some a**. (Stating of course they can "locate" with acceptable skill.) Change of spin as much as speed kills 'em.


Team USA knew the change-up was coming when Jenna Caira pitched and struggled. It seemed like she was throwing it 60-70% of the time. She struck one batter out throwing 3 straight change-ups.

Canada's Head coach: " As one of the top five female softball pitchers in the game with the most devastating change up on the planet, she has earned the reputation among her peers of being a fearless competitor and a teammate who makes those around her better."
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
WE had one who threw a log of changeups and generally changed speeds a lot. She threw knuckleballs and all sorts of curves with really good control. However, when she needs a strikeout she could blow one by a hitter because her FB seems so much faster with all the junk. Mostly she got a lot of popups and weak grounders. She grew quite a bit and I didn't see her pitch in HS but I'm guessing she turned into more of a power pitcher as she got older.
 
Jul 27, 2015
235
43
Years ago we played on a team where the assistant coach called pitches and his daughter pitched. I knew better than to join a team like that, but our previous team folded, and we were stuck. Since the issue described below only happened once, it really was not a bad experience.

In the fall, my daughter and his daughter were pretty equal. Over the winter my daughter improved greatly while his daughter did not. Early in the spring, I am convinced he noticed this too. His daughter got the start in an important elimination game and was getting rocked. So my daughter was brought in to face the top of the line up. He proceeded to call 9 change ups in a rows. Needless to say, they started rocking her after the 4th or so. The [terrible and stupid] rule on the team was you could not shake off a pitch so she got abused, and of course, looked back. She went to him after the game and asked why he called all those in a row. He gave a lame answer. The head coach heard the whole exchange. My daughter pretty much became the #1 pitcher after that, and we never experienced 9 change ups in a row again.
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
DD's HS coach would not call change ups last season. We really only had 3 pitchers and one girl had a good change-up but he just wouldn't call it. DD's friend is a pitcher and will be playing varsity this year and she's got a great change up and it looks like he finally will use it. If it's good it should be used!
 

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