How to Pitch a Circle Changeup

Some major league pitchers have posted winning records, even though their pitches don't look like they could break a thin pane of glass. Pitchers like Tom Glavine and Jamie Moyer mastered a pitch early in their careers that gave them a huge advantage over most other pitchers--the changeup. While not every pitcher can throw a 95 mph fastball, a hurler can learn how to throw a changeup.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose the circle change as your changeup. It is the easiest pitch on your arm and has the greatest variations in the way it can be thrown.

2. Form a circle with your thumb and index finger. The other 3 fingers are free--these are the fingers that grip the baseball. Another description of this placement of the fingers is simply making the "OK" sign.

3. Grip the baseball by the middle, third and fourth fingers and hold them against the circle formed by the index finger and thumb.

4. Use the same arm motion to throw the circle change that you use to throw a fast ball. Also use the same arm speed.

5. Release the ball by extending the circle towards the target. The thumb should end up pointing down.

6. Devote at least thirty percent or more of your pitching workouts to throwing the circle changeup. To use it effectively, throwing a baseball with the "okay" grip must become as natural as throwing it with 4 seams.

Who Can Help:

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Resources

• Description of the grip for the circle changeup.
• Website that has pictures as well as videos of the circle changeup being thrown.