Off-Speed Pitches and Grips

For this weeks post we will be teaching the proper ways to throw the three most important off-speed pitches. Not only will we show you proper grips we will also explain these three pitches purposes when on the mound.

The Change-Up

There are many different ways the changeup is taught but we will teach the most common grip with MLB pitchers, the circle-change. An effective changeup can be the most valuable pitch to any pitcher if used right. If you went and asked any hitter at the college level what’s the hardest pitch to hit is; 95% of the time their going to tell you it’s the changeup. The main purpose of the changeup is to deceive the hitter and change his timing. Over the years, I personally realized the amount of pitchers that ignore the importance of their changeup to focus more on their sliders and curveballs. Trust us if you want a scout to really like you master your changeup.

The Slider

The slider is one of the best pitches in baseball if used effectively. It can also be the worst. What I mean about the slider potentially being the worst pitch for a young pitcher is the risks of throwing it. When not thrown right you gain the risk of elbow injuries. You definitely don’t want that. The grip above is the correct way to hold it. When throwing the slider you don’t want to crank it when you release, many amateur pitchers think this will gain more movement, this will only hurt your elbow. The correct way is to finish like your cutting your catcher in half, from top of the head to feet, with your pointer and middle finger. This will decrease the chances of injury. An effective slider is a great pitch to have but make sure to not over use it.

The Curveball

The curveball is similar to the way the slider works but it’s different by its particular movement. Compared to the slider the curveball is more up and down or “12-6” if you think of a clock. To look a pitcher who has perfected a curveball watch a YouTube video on Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. Remember this pitch doesn’t work if you crank your elbow to make it move more. Let the grip work itself out. When throwing a curveball it’s okay to slow your arm a tad to make the pitch work better. Just don’t slow it down drastically! An effective curveball has become rare at the high school level so when scouts see them they will take notice.