Different Changeup Grips and How Each Break

The changeup is one of the best off-speed pitches that a pitcher can use. The beauty of the changeup is that the pitcher can throw the pitch with the same arm speed and arm action as the fastball. The primary use of the fastball is to fool the hitter into thinking it is a fastball, but the pitch will be 8-15 miles per hour slower than the fastball. Although on paper that is the primary use of the changeup, there is now an issue with the standard changeup for some pitchers. The problem is that the changeup could be at the ideal hitting speed for a hitter because the pitcher's fastball is so quick. When this is the problem, the pitcher will need to add movement to his changeup. In this post, I will go over where to start to find the proper changeup grip, the different grips, and how to train the changeup. 

The best advice on how to find a proper changeup grip is for the pitcher to base on the grip of his primary fastball. A pitcher who primarily throws a four-seam fastball would need to use a four-seam grip on the changeup so that the look of the pitch appears to be like the fastball. If you look at the pictures below, you will notice the same pitch grip but is gripped differently on the seams. The two-seam circle changeup is gripped around the "horseshoe" of the seams. The four-seam circle changeup is gripped across the "horseshoe" of the seams. Again, the changeup needs to look similar to the fastball spin to fool the hitter. 

(two-seam circle changeup)

(four-seam circle changeup)

Not one grip works best for every single pitcher. Many different kinds of changeup grips can provide different results for the pitcher. The pitcher will need to try out different grips to get the desired result from the pitch. The most important part is for the pitcher to understand what result he wants out of the changeup. For example, if the pitcher throws in the high 90s and 100-mile-per-hour range, his changeup might be in the preferred bat speed of the hitter. Therefore, the pitcher will need to find a changeup that is slower but also moves to make it more difficult for the hitter. 

Different Changeup Grips

Circle Changeup

The circle changeup is the most common changeup grip used by pitchers. The reason is that it is easy to grip and throw. To grip this pitch the pitcher will make an OK sign with the pointer finger and thumb. The pitch is placed in the last three fingers and needs to be pushed closer to the pointer finger and thumb. The pitch needs to be thrown like a fastball. If the pitcher wants to add a fading movement to the pitch, the pitcher will need to release the pitch on the pointer finger and thumb side. In other words, at the release of the pitch, the pitcher will have the hand in a thumbs down motion. 

Palm Ball

The palm ball has the pitcher putting the pitch deep in his hands. The four fingers should be on top of the ball with the thumb either on the side or below the ball. This all depends on the comfort of the pitch in the hand of the pitcher. For this pitch to be straight, the pitcher needs to release it like a fastball. To add movement to the pitch, the pitcher will need to pronate his hand to add movement. 

Forkball

The forkball is a tough pitch to use for a pitcher with smaller hands. Pitchers with larger hands typically use this pitch because they can get a good grip on the pitch. To grip this pitch properly, the pitcher will have his pointer and middle fingers splitting the "horseshoe" of the seams with his thumb underneath the pitch. The pitcher needs to throw this pitch just like the fastball and trust the pitch will tumble out of the hand of the pitcher. Typically the forkball will tumble out and can drastically move in a 12-6 motion. To add more break either to the left or to the right, the pitcher can move his thumb either to the left or right of the bottom of the pitch. 

Three-Finger Changeup

For pitchers who have smaller hands, the three-finger changeup is a great option to have. The grip is easy to use for all pitchers though. The pointer, middle, and ring fingers are on top of the pitch while the pinky finger is on the side of the ball and the thumb is stabilizing the pitch. The pitcher can move his thumb around or pronate to get more movement on the pitch. 

Pro Changeup

The pro changeup is a great way to add movement to the changeup. To grip this pitch the pitcher will have the ball in a two-seam display. The middle and ring fingers will be on the seams of the "horseshoe." The pinky is on the side and the pointer finger is on the other side of the pitch, while the thumb is underneath stabilizing the pitch. At release, the pitch needs to be pronated to add movement to the pitch. 

With each grip of each changeup, it is important to experiment to find what works best for the pitcher, and what the pitcher desires out of the changeup. The changeup needs to be in the same display as the fastball to provide the best deceptiveness to the hitter. A great way to get a feel for the changeup is to throw the changeup during long toss. The beauty of the changeup is that it can be thrown in long toss. When the pitcher has his partner about 100-90 feet away coming in before the end of long toss, they can both throw their changeups to one other. The extended view can provide the pitcher throwing his changeup to see if it is moving properly. The changeup is a fantastic way to deceive the hitter and keep him off the timing of the pitcher's fastball. It takes time to get consistent results with the changeup, but the work to get those results is worth the effort.