What the WCWS Can Teach Us about the Changeup

[chinamigarden]

Most batters do not expect 2 in a row. So give them 2 in a row.

 

[Chris8]

Most batters do not expect 2 in a row. So give them 2 in a row.

My DD hitting coach was at a club game watching her play. She was pitching at the time 18U team. 3CU's in a row for three strikes 2 swinging, 3rd looking. #4 hitter in their lineup.
He commented afterwards that he was hoping for 2 in a row given how aggressive the hitter was behaving. He said to his wife...."do they have the guts to throw 3 in a row?" Yup. Will that recipe work everytime, nope...but the coaches were very astute to the tendancies of the hitters.

Hitting is timing, pitching needs to disrupt the timing.

Funny thing is the other team is now yelling "watch the change, watch the change"....didn't throw another one that inning.

Opportunities exist if we look for them.

 

[Gambler Bob]

I noticed Canady tipped her change poorly. She would stop her arm at release, unlike her other pitches, which she always followed through on. Oddly enough, either they didn't pick up on it, or they couldn't adjust to her speed on the other pitches, but it didn't seem to impact her.

What did amaze me was how many change-ups were thrown for called strikes. I've always felt that was a recipe for disaster.

I noticed the same thing. I don't think a batter can focus on a pitchers follow through though, so it is happening to late in the pitching motion for a batter to get tipped by the pitch. If a pitcher slows her legs or arm down before the release is something that good hitters can pick up on.

 

[chinamigarden]

My DD hitting coach was at a club game watching her play. She was pitching at the time 18U team. 3CU's in a row for three strikes 2 swinging, 3rd looking. #4 hitter in their lineup.
He commented afterwards that he was hoping for 2 in a row given how aggressive the hitter was behaving. He said to his wife...."do they have the guts to throw 3 in a row?" Yup. Will that recipe work everytime, nope...but the coaches were very astute to the tendancies of the hitters.

Hitting is timing, pitching needs to disrupt the timing.

Funny thing is the other team is now yelling "watch the change, watch the change"....didn't throw another one that inning.

Opportunities exist if we look for them.

Love when the other team helps you call pitches. Watch for the change equals here comes the fast one

In 12u after the batter was late on a fastball
“Start earlier” from the 3rd base coach meant here comes the change.

 

[ArmWhip]

What did amaze me was how many change-ups were thrown for called strikes. I've always felt that was a recipe for disaster.

I have been noticing this for awhile. My theory is that the early trajectory is interpreted as a pitch too high to be in the strike zone, so hitter goes into 'take' mode. If they see it enough their response will change and they will be ready for it.

 

[Cougars]

We were only in the B world of softball, occasionally playing A/open teams, so obviously different level of play, but the games my daughter had her change working well, were fun to watch.

One game she threw 8 straight changeups to the same batter. Just kept pulling them into her own dugout. At one point their coach yelled out, “its always a changeup!”.

Lost that game 1-0 on a first inning sac fly, in 58 minutes, but it’s still one of my favorite games we played.

 

[Vertigo]

I do wish DD’s PC would call it more often in games with each batter. It’s her best pitch - I never hesitated to call it on a 3-2 count because she typically has great control of it.

What I never understood was calling it when the batter couldn’t catch up to the faster pitches. Giving them a changeup is giving them a better chance to hit the ball. Definitely need to know the hitters and their tendencies!