It just isn’t a pitch that develops over night…have him develop the touch by throwing it as he warms up and in long toss. This isn’t unusual at all, he just has to commit and believe and work on it…it’ll come.
I would respond with the whole small article I wrote last night for this site but here it is on a piece of the change-up. JDfromFL gave some great thoughts as well. The above is just some things to consider.
Yah Fred that “dragging the back foot” thing makes me very frustrated when I hear that cue. It can be very surprising how many stand by it (The cue…you can seach this site and see it). I’ve always felt altering your delivery for anything was wrongheaded…might work at lower levels but just shows the pitch at higher ones.
The change can be the most effective out pitch in the arsenal when the pitcher believes in it…also it ain’t all together bad to be able to get dirt on a pitch here and there…as long as the 2 can drop and block…
Munster just continue to work with him and it…before long you’ll see his K count start to tic up…the down side is he may have a “more than 3 k inning” occasionally…my sons worst was a 5 K inning…the catcher quit and went to football the next year :lol:
It certainly could be the grip. Most kids who try to throw the circle change grip the ball off-center so that they can make a tight little circle. But this means then end up having to throw the ball - and control it - using the ring and pinky fingers - the two weakest fingers on the hand.
I suggest checking your son’s grip to make sure he grips the ball with thumb and middle finger cutting the ball in half. Then slide his index finger down the side of the ball only as far as his flexibility allows without shifting thumb and middle finger. He doesn’t need to make a circle. Finally, add in some pronation. And keep up the arm speed!
I remember the time when I was having trouble with the circle change—I just couldn’t get it to work right. When I told my pitching coach about it, he took one look at the grip I was using and told me that my hand wasn’t quite large enough to form the complete circle or “OK” sign. He suggested I go to the backward “c”—the half-circle—and told me to move my third and fourth fingers closer together, thus creating an off-center grip. I tried it, and BANZAI! I had my circle change.
It’s important to throw it with the same arm motion and the same arm speed as for the fast ball (or, in my case, the curve, since I didn’t have anything resembling a fast ball)—one thing you don’t want to do is telegraph the pitch! 8)
The circle change can really come out strange if you don’t hold it the same every time. You can really hold it loose one time and really tight another, the velocity of the pitch will really change based on just how much tension is in your fingers…sounds like you need to work on repetitive mechanics to get it in the same place!
It never occured to me to turn my fingers in that manner. I have been having trouble getting my velocity down when using my change up on question though, do you stay with a circle change grip or use the star point that you showed when working with the hockey puck