Why Do Batters Duck on Change-up?

[GunnerShotgun]

My 12U daughter has started throwing a nasty flip change-up (when she doesn't throw it up in the sky or kill 3 worms on the way to the plate) and most of the batters the first time they see it physically duck to the ground. She never throws it at them, most of the time it just floats to the catcher right down the middle.

My DD thinks this is funny and she keeps asking, "Why do the duck?". My first response was that it's the first time they have seen a change-up and they don't know what to think of it. Now I think that it's because she throws her change-up high (at the numbers) so they don't want it to be a strike (so they duck).

Anyone else experience this?

It happens regularly...

 

[quincy]

Last year was the 1st time DD saw a CU and I would guess there is still a hole in the batter’s box from her spinning like a top.

Haven’t really seen batters ducking, might need to pay more attention.

 

[starsnuffer]

I see it a lot in rec ball. Most batters were never coached or explained to that the strike zone is static, that it starts and ends where the player's "normal batting stance" is, and does not move lower if the player ducks. A lot of rec umpires are apparently oblivious to this rule as well, which just reinforces the bad behavior on the batter.

I see a lot of travel coaches instructing their players to TAKE changeups unless it is for the 3rd strike. This means that they never learn to hit a changeup properly, even if it is a 3rd strike, so you see ducking on that 3rd strike after they realized (too late) that they should have swung at that strike.

My oldest has a killer changeup, and when she was younger she used to tell me, "I gave that batter the old duck duck goose". I had no idea what she meant until she explained (years later) that it meant two changeups for strikes and an inside fastball to sit the batter down.

-W

 

[Lisanice]

They are trying to get the umpire to call it a ball not a strike. If they bend the ball appears higher and outbid the strike zone.

 

[Gbucz]

I am sure there are a lot of reasons for the ducking starting with the statements above. Adding to these would be that the batter is trying to track the ball and since many CUs have a big arc the batter goes up then down. Another possibility is that the batter is into their swing and trying to pull back squatting so they don't fall over forward.

 

[Catchersmom]

Pretty simple explanation from my 14u TB DD: I'm a sucker for 'em, I fall for it too often, when I duck it I'm probably going to draw a ball rather than a strike. If it's a ball she's not going to throw it again so I've just set up my next pitch.

And we think we're the smart ones, lol!

 

[GTRH8R]

I've never seen them duck on a CU, but I have seen a ton duck on a chest high FB on the inside corner. Like quincy, I see more 360s in the box swinging at them and girls muttering bad things. My DD got faked out on one so bad earlier this season that all she could do was laugh at herself. She was chomping at the bit to get back in and sit and drive that sucker though.