Changeup
What is changeup in baseball?
How do pitchers deliver changeup?
Which are varieties of changeup?
The changeup is a type of pitch in regular baseball or fastpitch softball. It looks like a fastball but really belongs to the staple off-speed pitch. The ball has a slower speed en route to the plate. This pitch has reduced speed with the purpose to bemuse the batter’s time code. It’s popular in Latin America as a tribute to changeup king Pedro Martinez who won three Cy Young Award.
The same arm action during throw increases similarity with the fastball. The changeup has lower speed because the pitcher keeps the ball in a grip. The batter expects a fastball, it comes to hit early than required in this case. Batters bewilder and get out quicker due to the pitcher’s motion action too.
There are a couple of changeup variations. The pitcher forms a circle with the index finger on the thumb. Middle and ring fingers lay across the baseball seams. Sometimes the pitcher releases the circle changeup similar to screwball. The pitch break follows it. The most common type is the straight changeup. No specific preparations for that. Palm, Vulcan or fosh changeups are rare in this sport but some players practice it.