In baseball, there are many different pitches that you can
throw. There are many pitches made to be fast, many to be slow, but most of all
there are pitches made to have some wicked movement. Essentially, pitchers rely
on different grips that are made to work with the seams on a baseball to create
the ball to spin and get the movement they want. Movement also relies on arm
angle and most of the grips rely on the amount of pressure you apply along the
seams. Although you can get more breaking action on a curveball or a slider,
(which are harder to throw and over time cause arm problems, usually elbow
tendons being torn from throwing these pitches so much), my favorite pitch is the
circle change-up. It is a pitch that is used by all pitchers out there. The
circle change-up has grown in popularity because you can still get great
movement o your pitches and it wont do a thing to your elbow or arm, besides
fatigue and getting your arm tired which is normal in players. It is a pitch
that I learned to throw when I was 8, and have used it my career in baseball.
There are 2 different types of change-ups, the circle change–up and the 3
finger/ straight change-up. For me, I was able to adapt to the circle change-up
because it is a lot easier to grip than a 3-finger change-up. Today, I am going
to teach you how to grip and throw a circle change-up.
HOW TO GRIP A CIRCLE
CHANGE-UP
- Take your index and thumb fingers and touch the tips of them together, forming a circle.
- Center the baseball and place it so it sits inside the circle you just made with your fingers.
- Place your 3 remaining fingers on top over the ball.
HOW
TO THROW THE CIRCLE CHANGE-UP
1.
Use the grip explained above, but when throwing the
ball, make sure that you can cradle or hold the ball only using the circle
created by you fingers. This will take practice to master this grip.
2.
You want the three fingers left over from making the
grip to be held loosely to almost barely touching on the ball. These fingers
will be used to create the spin on a circle change-up.
3.
To actually throw it, use the same mechanics and same
arm speed used to throw a fastball. Doing so will deceive the hitter, making
them think you’re throwing a fastball and fools them when you throw a pitch
that averages 10 mph slower than a fastball and has a great dropping, spinning
motion (change-ups can go from being at your head and drop down to your knees
in a fraction of a milliseconds)
4.
To create spin on the pitch, you are going to want to
let the ball “ roll” off the three fingers. Having a loose grip on the 3
fingers, but a strong grip on the circle will give you a greater spin. This
will cause the ball to go an average of 10 mph less than your fastball, but
gives a lot more movement you can get from a fastball.
39 comments:
Very informative and interesting how-to article. Your instructions were clear and detailed.
I thought this piece was very interesting! I loved the dynamics and physics explained behind throwing a "circle change up pitch". Such as the use of logos when explaining body positioning, rate of movement, and angles. The use of step by step directions made the technique easy to follow. Also, I liked how you included the tip on what to do so you can deceive the batter. Even though I don't play baseball, I enjoyed the piece and will definitely be trying to conquer this pitch!
i like how well you described how to throw and hold the ball and what you prefer to do cuz its easier but still gave all choises...also i like the fact you wrote about something you love.
I liked how clear this piece was and one day I will totally try this pitch.
i love how you said every step and it wasnt confusing at all one day i will try this
I love baseball, like I grew up with it, but I can not play for the life of me! It's awesome how thorough you made each step, you also made it very clear and sound a lot more simple then it actually is. Nice job!
Taylor R. (12) p.4
Wow, this piece is very informative. I actually got my little brother to read this because he is into baseball. My brother is actually going to try this technique. I thought the instructions were very clear and interesting. I know my brother is excited to try it soon!
I truly liked that you chose to explain a task which is dear to you. Your passion for the game was quite evident throughout the piece and helped to add credibility to your instructions. The inclusion of pertinent facts (such as the speed of the pitch) provided me with a more complete comprehension of the detailed directions. You clearly know the ins and outs of pitching and thanks to this piece, others can become familiar with them too.
-Christina Tapia
It was really detailed, very cool.
-Quade Ferguson
I like how you input so much detail into your instructions. As somebody who doesn't speak "baseball" I was glad to find that I wasn't lost reading your piece thanks to your clear explanations. While reading it, I was actually sad that I didn't have a baseball lying around because this made me definitely want to try the "circle change-up". This piece was more than just ordinary instructions in the way that you showed great knowledge and used detail and factual evidence to convince the reader of the effectiveness of the pitch and I believe that this also helped build up your credibility. Great job :)
As I was reading this article, I really wished I had a baseball to try the "circle change-up"! As somebody who doesn't speak "baseball" I was glad to find that I actually understood you clearly thanks to the thorough instructions you gave. I enjoyed the way you moved beyond just giving instructions, but went into depth with detail and factual evidence which in my opinion helped support your credibility and the credibility of the effectiveness of the "circle change-up". You seem to know your stuff (:
I like how you broke down a complicated technique, and made it simple enough for beginners to grasp
I like on how u broke down everything to make it easy to read and understand. Plus the numbers help. Its good on how u wrote about something your in passionative about
Ashleigh Perez
I have always been a fan of baseball and whenever I watch a game it amazes me to see the speed of the pitches in the corner of the screen and watch all the different pitches thrown throughout the course of the game. That being said, I never really knew how much went into throwing a specific pitch, or that the way the ball is gripped has an impact on the type of pitch a player throws. This piece was really interesting, and the clear language and concise directions made the instructions easy to follow without feeling like there was information missing. The amount of description in the piece was just right and it made it easy to picture what should be happening as I read your directions. The ending was a great idea for a how-to piece as well because it was definitely encouraging and the allusion to Shakespeare funny and definitely unexpected. Two Thumbs Up!
I love how you instruction are nice, organized and easy to understand. Good Job!!
This piece was really interesting to me because I play baseball myself and felt I could relate to what you were explaining how to do. Its interesting that you chose the circle change as it is not a well known and respected pitch as a 12-6 curveball or an electric 100 mph fastball. It seems as you have mastered this pitch and can use it really effectively when ahead in the count or down in the count and need a strike that's not just a straight fastball. Good Job and continue to throw your circle change.
- Cody Molla
wow this writing is very detailed, i like how you told us how to throw the baseball by first telling us how to grip the ball and then how to throw it good job keep up the great job.
I like how you included personal details into this instructional piece. It allows the reader to connect with you and your passion for baseball. Although your instructions were detailed and clear for the subject, they were a bit difficult to understand for a person like me, who has absolutely no basic knowledge of baseball. Yet I am sure that someone interested in baseball would be able to pull of this pitch using your instructions.
I felt when reading this that you were a very reliable source. You sound like you know exactly what you are talking about and explained it very well for people who have never played baseball before or pitched a ball. You did a great job of leading readers step by step and made me want to go try and pitch!
Even though this is just an informative article, I can still see your passion for baseball which shows some impressive writing skills! You were very detailed and descriptive, clearly explaining techniques for baseball. Even I feel that I can give this a try and be successful and I'm sure that others with feel the same way. Great job !
Awesome tutorial Nick! As others have already mentioned, it is a clear, detailed, and professional grade piece. Thanks for sharing, I'm sure this will elevate my game whenever I return to the diamond.
This was actually so easy to follow and you explained everything so well! I am absolutely clueless at sports and anytime I try to ask friends who play baseball to explain to me they just use huge words and terminology that I don't understand! But with this, it seemed a lot more simple and I was actually trying to do the hand motions myself! This would be so useful for a beginner who wants to try this out and even for someone who doesn't play baseball like me, it felt cool to make the circle with my own hand!
I loved that this piece was so informative and detailed; it can be extremely helpful for others wanting to learn how to grip and throw a circle change-up. Even though im not familiar with baseball, you still made it very easy to follow with your step by step process. Through your work I'm able to tell that baseball is something that really interests you, and I love that you chose to write about it. Keep up the good work!
I like how you went in detail about throwing a baseball Devin Jennings
This was a great informative article. I was very tempted to pick up a baseball and follow your procedure step by step because it was very clear and to the point.
-Trevor Ragland
You seem to know what you were doing. A very simple How to. If you were to do another, I would suggest adding some of your personality into it. Make it something that only you could type. Add a cheesy joke maybe? However you roll. I could never pitch well (my aim is always a bit to the right which ends up hitting the batter) but my batting average was good enough when I played to get my the #2 spot in the line up. Wonder If I could hit off of you.
-Kevin McCondichie
So when can I expect the article about the 4-seam and 2-seam? Though the jargon may confuse people who don't know much about the sport, this type of article isn't directed towards them. The in-depth steps on how to correctly throw the ball brought back memories of learning how to throw one myself and it was well written as a bonus.
this was very informative. I was really into the article, although i am not a baseball player.-jakob cadena
I felt like this came straight out of a book because the instructions were very detailed and well organized. Your step by step process made the concept easy to grasp that my hand was moving along with each step.
i like the way you had writing in it then you broke it down into steps to make It more clear
This instructional article was the first I have read and I must say, it was pretty instructional. I now want to go outside and attempt to throw a circle change-up. I believe, thanks to your instructions, that I would be successful at this feat as well.
Great instruction i love baseball myself but i play the outfield im not a pitcher
I greatly enjoyed how you provided some history and express a great knowledge on the subject.
-Alan Medina
Whenever I throw a baseball, I'm usually the one hurting my arm by incorrect throwing/pitching form. The next time I throw, I'll be sure to try this technique. It's not only informative in the grip, you also manage to teach us different pitching styles and that is very useful. The backstory also adds excellent insight onto why you love this throw, and that is always appreciated. I honestly can't wait to try this!
Wow! Thanks, I never really knew how to throw a different type of pitch until now. Also, I never realized how complicated it is to throw a baseball in different ways and how much effort baseball pitches put into throwing a baseball.
-Hewie Vargas
i seriously feel like i can throw a baseball and pitch now. i really liked how you set the instructions up because it was easy to read and understand.
-abigail rich
That was great instructions how you put it in steps it was really easy to understand.
-Eli Cabrera
You have the skill in writing to be able to make an informative story and still be able to keep readers interest. This shows great skill and creativity. Truly great job!
-Erick Hollinquest
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