Easiest ChangeUp to learn to throw?

[JackB1]

I have been pitching more in my adult league and have been soley a
fastball/ curveball pitcher and I want to add another pitch. Would a
changeup be the best 3rd pitch to add? What would be the easiest
changeup to learn quickly? I tried the "circle change" and that felt
very awkward.

[DerekD]

I taught my son a palm ball this year. It's much easier for him because he's only 10 (i.e. small hands), but he throws it pretty well actually. He throws a 4-seam and 2-seam, and now this palm ball. He holds it deep in the hand with no finger tips on a seam.

[JackB1]

I taught my son a palm ball this year. It's much easier for him because he's only 10 (i.e. small hands), but he throws it pretty well actually. He throws a 4-seam and 2-seam, and now this palm ball. He holds it deep in the hand with no finger tips on a seam.

Can you explain the grip? Thanks

[PhilliesPhan22]

grip it like a 4 seamer but use three fingers. Throw it like your fastball. Three fingers give it less spin and thus less speed from the same motion.

[JackB1]

grip it like a 4 seamer but use three fingers. Throw it like your fastball. Three fingers give it less spin and thus less speed from the same motion.

Are you describing the grip for a "palmball"?

I tried that 3 finger grip and it's not significantly slower. I would like to get a 10 mph difference between my fastball and my change.

[PhilliesPhan22]

I used it in high school and it worked enough for me.

[Chris O'Leary]

Are you describing the grip for a "palmball"?

I tried that 3 finger grip and it's not significantly slower. I would like to get a 10 mph difference between my fastball and my change.

The key to a good, straight change-up is a 10 percent differential, not a hard and fast 10 MPH differential.

[Swing Coach]

THe key to a change up is you have to let the ball slide off your fingers...every part of your body throws like a fastball, except your fingers -- takes practice

[CoachHenry]

THe key to a change up is you have to let the ball slide off your fingers...every part of your body throws like a fastball, except your fingers -- takes practice

Yes. For my youngsters a three fingered fastball, gripped like a two seam fastball, works well for a change-up. You as an adult can tuck it back towards your palm our out towards the fingertips depending on how it feels to you. Throw it with limp fingers like Swing Coach suggests. However work on the circle change. When you are warming up play pass with it. That's how I have the kids that pitch for me do it. Throw a 4 seam, then a 2 seam, then a circle change then the 4 seam, etc. If you do it that way it becomes natural and easier off the mound.

[Jesse]

Another option I've seen is to throw it just like a fastball, except you grip it with your middle and ring finger instead of your index and middle. This seems like it would be pretty easy to learn but I'm not sure how effective it would be in terms of speed differential. This is how Cal Ripken recommends to throw it in his book.

[CoachHenry]

Another option I've seen is to throw it just like a fastball, except you grip it with your middle and ring finger instead of your index and middle. This seems like it would be pretty easy to learn but I'm not sure how effective it would be in terms of speed differential. This is how Cal Ripken recommends to throw it in his book.

You have to rotate your hand a bit to get those fingers on top of the ball during the throw. Not difficult but something that you have to practice, like anything else.

[StraightGrain11]

The idea behind the change-up is that you throw it with you "non-dominant fingers" (pinky and ring). You use your "dominant fingers" (index an middle) to throw a fastball because you can apply more force to the ball with them. The "change in speed" of a change-up comes from the non-dominant fingers' lack of ability to apply this same amount of force (as well as some technique, obviously). This is why your arm can use fastball action without fastball results. It, also, does help to think "pronate early" to get a little "diving" movent on the ball (whether or not this actually occurs, I will leave to scientists ).

The thing, I found, that really taught me how to throw a change-up, was throwing BP at short distances. Since changing my arm action - or slowing it down - always hurts my ability to locate the ball consitently, I, intstead, just started messing around with a change-up grip. Now I can throw at short distances while keeping the same arm actiom, maintain location AND I can now throw a pretty decent change-up.

It's more something you have to "mess around with" and figure out on your own than it is "written in stone" that it must be held and thrown a certain way.

Good Luck