How To Pitch A Change Up

Learning how to pitch a change up is crucial for any person striving to be an effective pitcher. The change up is basically the same thing as a fastball, it is just thrown with less power. The goal of the change up is to trick the batter into believing that you are throwing the fastball. The result is that the batter will be way out in front of the pitch, resulting in either a swinging strike or a poorly hit baseball.

1. When griping a fastball, a pitcher uses the middle and index fingers. The result is full strength and power allowing the ball to travel at a high rate of speed. When pitching a change up, you will utilize the middle finger and ring finger. the result is less ability to throw with maximum velocity. Form a circle with your thumb and index fingers at the base of the ball as your grip the seams with your middle and ring fingers. This is called the circle change up.
2. As you throw the ball, be certain to use the same tempo and arm speed that you would with your fastball. You want to make the hitter believe the fastball is being thrown.
3. Make sure you keep only a small circle formed with your thumb and index finger. These fingers only need to be slightly touching the baseball to help with support. If your circle is too big and those fingers are taking up to much space on the ball, it will negatively effect your ability to deliver the ball with much control.

The circle change up is most effective when used to strike batters out after setting them up with your fastball. It is a complementary pitch. A good change up is typically thrown between ten to fifteen MPH less then your fastball.