Its easy to dismiss the Cubs starter for Game Three, Kyle Hendricks. It was his sparingly used curveball that stole the show, a pitch he altered the grip on during quarantine and has seen improved results compared to last season. A slider has defined spin, a mixture of bullet-spin, forward and side spin that creates a visible red dot. Steele has yet to fully highlight the changeup in three spring starts. Hes a little bit higher up on the horseshoe [of the baseball].. You can check these in your browser security settings. When Hendricks is on, weve seen this in action. Entering his second season, Steele is lined up to pitch third in the order to start the year while veteran Wade Miley continues to ramp up. The grip will be the same and the arm and hand action applies just the same no matter the age of the player. His other stuff is elite. Thats an 8-mph differential between two pitches that follow the same trajectory. Freeland not only changed his mechanics, his pitch mix was drastically altered. If the thumb cradles the ball from the bottom, the rest of the hand can be almost completely relaxed. 10? The velocity data doesnt help a ton, but by movement, you can see it. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. His slider wasnt the archetypal slider, but it still had deadly effect as shown by his season of 41 saves without a single blown opportunity. How can you get the same movement/action using two different grips? youve got little chance of doing damage off him. This is crucial, as yes, any changeup grip could work, but not all grips will help a pitcher easily spin the ball and produce excellent movement. And, unfortunately, it ended too early. If his two-seamer and changeup come out of the hand and tunnel the exact same way, youve got little chance of doing damage off him. Hendricks is predominantly a sinker (42.4 percent of his pitches in 2019) and changeup (27.8 percent) pitcher, mixing in the four-seamer and curve as well. Some may add a specialty or fourth pitch as they get more experienced. We need 90mph arm speed with a 79-83mph output. Whats the best way to start throwing this critically important pitch? Aside from slowing the arm or hand down, or not finishing the pitch, theres no reliable way to reduce the speed of a changeup when force is applied through the center. The changup I teach has heavy sink and armside run. Cubs lefty Justin made his third start of spring training against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Pingback: How to Throw a Curveball - The Definitive Guide, Pingback: Here are The Best Pitching Drills for Young Players in 2021. His arm slot and the speed at which he releases each pitch are indistinguishable. For a veteran pitcher who throws a curveball, sinker, sinking changeup, mixing in an occasional cutting changeup will definitely confuse a hitter. Vulcan change? So technically, it does break. After that, its up to the pitcher to put in the time and dedication honing the pitch and learning how to pitch with it. Among 112 pitchers who have thrown at least 50 sinkers or two-seam fastballs entering Mondays slate of games, Hendricks is tied for the fifth lowest average spin rate (1878 rpm). This offer is only valid on select items, but theres a ton of great gear youll save 20% on that will help you become a better player, so shop now! This episode is brought to you by Rawlings. Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes won the NL Cy Young last year and was supposed to be the. I also loved Felix Hernandezs changeup and Kyle Hendricks as well. The best changeups feature the following: James Shields is one of the best examples. If youbelieve adding velocity could be critical to your success,check out my proven programsfor pitchers of all ages. Eight? He reminds me of Brad Lidge, who threw a slider that appeared to have mostly downward movement. #cubs #mlb #pitching2022 MLB Strikeout Reels playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYkCwy6ah6d_xXaI7mM8OIIIr7AeW0zuA2022 College Baseball Strikeout Re. Okay, so once you learn this shiny new pitch, itll be important to understand when and why you should throw a changeup. Hendricks has a conventional change that gets unconventional whiffs, perhaps because he shows identical arm speed or has some deception in his delivery. His changeup? Yet, the grip is just one piece of the puzzle, as the hand action is more important. He thanks Murphy apparently quite the chef for that gain. The least effective velocity differential was 11.1 mph. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learning how to maximize the effect of the pitch, and minimize its weaknesses is what takes a pitcher to the next level. 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The grip might differ slightly, but the way spin is applied, which may be the biggest factor in throwing a breaking pitch, is largely the same. A circle change and a straight change are two different pitches, right?? Sign up below to receive my beloved weekly emails updates on new videos, articles and content. Its not easy developing a great changeup (or any offspeed pitch for that matter). Youth pitchers 14 and under should concentrate on developing the fastball and learning to throw it to spots, plus learning to change speeds on the pitch. Steeles slider and curveball are his go-to secondary pitches, resulting in whiffs 29.3% and 34.6% of the time last season, respectively, according to Baseball Savant. This tactic is HUGE and is a major reason why the changeup is so effective. Even with consistency in teach methods, there will be an inconsistency in output. Hold the ball at the base of your middle and ring fingers, then put your thumb on the bottom. very good and useful article I thank you. To follow proper form, a pitcher releases the ball while keeping his wrist straight, then follows through fully. We maximize lateral spin application by forcing the ball to roll up the fingers before finally releasing off the fingertip. Work for full arm extension to the plate on the follow through just like on the fastball. But, this starts with education on what a changeup is and why it does what it does. kyle hendricks changeup gripinchkeith house mental health team Consultation Request a Free Consultation Now. Despite slight differences in grip, most other pitches are thrown in the same way across pitchers. Before leaving to join Team Israel, Cubs prospect Matt Mervis shared why this WBC means so much to him. (Its no surprise that Zack Greinke has the lowest sinker spin in baseball this season. 07/16/2013. Common theories as to why he isnt pitching at an ace-caliber level include poor fastball command, a lack of a third pitch, and not attacking the corners as much with runners on base. "My changeup was similar, but I wasn't establishing my fastball down in the zone." Then, let your index and pinky fingers fall gently to the side of the ball. 1 - Kyle Hendricks (Cubs) - 19.7% Whiff rate, 62 Adjusted Contact Score For my money, Hendricks throws the best changeup in the game. In the meantime, subscribe to my Podcast, titled Dear Baseball Gods and find me on Instagram @coachdanblewett. Kyle Hendricks Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com Kyle Hendricks Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-3 , 190lb (190cm, 86kg) Team: Chicago Cubs (majors) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 2016 World Series ERA Title 28 Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. There. Call it what you will, its a different pitch. Also like fastballs, changeups thrown with a two-seam grip get more run and fade. Hendricks predicts the slower changeup will throw off hitters timing even more. He can locate his sinker well, though, and has a good change. Required fields are marked *, I agree to the terms and conditions laid out in the Privacy Policy. When thrown the above way, we will reliably achieve a 10% (plus or minus) speed reduction that can easily be repeated at any intensity. I was too busy trying to find the fastball, he said with a smile. The grip helps us remove speed from a changeup while simultaneously applying spin to it. By movement, it's almost exactly average. If the pitcher can develop a good change up, his fastball will appear faster and the hitters will be less aggressive. Today, well focus on the elusive third pitch. As a side note, my students rarely bounce changeups while they learn them, because the grip I teach provides a relaxed hand. The result has caught the attention of Hendricks, who relies heavily on his own changeup. Pitchers who haven't reached puberty should not throw breaking pitches competitively due to their lack of muscle, ligament and bone development. Not to mention he has a baby on the way. The frustrating righty could definitely use a third pitch. Two Common Curveball Mistakes Pitchers Should Avoid, How to Throw the Modern Change Up - Elite Baseball Performance, Excellent arm speed that appears identical to the fastball, Speed reduction of 8-12% (miles per hour value varies depending on fastball velocity). If we were to name the two, we might name one the Cut Change, and the other the Fade Change. The arm action is just like the fast ball until the pitcher comes into the acceleration phase, then: Bring the hand in closer to the head which causes the elbow to lead longer. The dawn of the tech era has increased what we can take away from spring training. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, But his changeup looks like the exact same pitch only it comes in even slower, at 78.6 mph. Kyle Hendricks knows he's struggled the last two seasons. But for the second time in three seasons, Hendricks helped the Cubs start off on the right foot with a good performance against the Brewers at Wrigley Field in the season opener.. Not to mention both starts followed a strange set of circumstances: the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020 and an . With a phone full of pictures of pitchers' fingers, strange beers, and his two toddler sons, Eno Sarris can be found at the ballpark or a brewery most days. We DONT want pressure to be on the fingertips, but rather at the very bottom of the fingers. At least, thats what Chicago is hoping as theyve got Hendricks locked up through 2023 with a vesting option for 2024, his age 34 season. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 3:30 AM ET, Park Factors Baseball is interesting and odd, especially . Provided the speed reduction is there, anomalies in movement are okay, and to be expected no two pitchers are alike. Lawmakers and others should not seek to undo laws meant to protect people from gun violence. Kyle Hendricks is proving he's an above-average strikeout pitcher. when he made 13 starts and ran off a 111/7 strikeout-to-walk mark. But, how much slower? Kyle Hendricks, left, and Alexi Pappas as Dartmouth freshmen, in a photo from Pappas. The speed difference is significant, but the difference in their running action is nearly zero. Itll help you a ton. We prefer the 3 finger grip because we find it easier to control. Ive seen five different sources call one particular pitch five different things, so I figured a cut change was some grizzled old coachs slang for a circle changeup. Now Available! 1 ago. Click on the different category headings to find out more. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. The thumb is the pressure point, and its location on the bottom of the ball is crucial. A combination of arm-side movement, known as run, and sinking movement. That way, even throwing it to their Mom or Dad, a pitcher can feel for good and bad changeups and consistently reinforce his good habits. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Heard Hendricks is thinking of changing his name. got a stalwart anchor atop the rotation in Hendricks. Practice is key, but to throw a changeup really well, we want to employ some strategies. Cole was sharp, and the King has returned. But I really wanted to find that fastball command and hone it in.. Cubs Spring Training Notebook: A leadoff option emerges. Kyle Hendricks and Dallas Keuchel have made careers out of their prolific sinkers, and based on 2020 data, it appears as though those pitches have gained additional movement through a SSW. Your goal as a catch partner for someone learning a changeup should be to give feedback over and over, so that they can connect how it feels and looks as they throw it. The #1 baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, has partnered with Cressey Sports Performance to make getting the best training gear for you more affordable. Forcing the fingers down the sides of the baseball are one of a few culprits that cause undue hand tension. Steele found himself forcing the fastball, his upper body getting ahead of his lower body. Its time we all start learning this same type of pitch. Dan Blewett is a former pro pitcher, baseball academy owner and author of, https://elitebaseballperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1-1.png, http://Elitebaseballperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ebp-green-transparent-horizontal-logo-300x96.png, The Modern Changeup: The Best New Pitch In Baseball. Kyle Hendricks of the Chicago Cubs was a bright spot for the Wrigleyites this summer. Kyle Hendricks entered his Sunday Night Baseball start on June 19 against the Pirates never having registered a double-digit strikeout game in his 57 starts. Kyle Hendricks changeup How to grip a change up The ball is gripped deep in the hand, balanced and held loosely. If you want to develop faster, and train better, you need the best gear. Kids need to pay more attention to this stuff. Mine would sink so much that from the dugout (side view) it was often mistaken for a slider or curveball by teammates (atta boy, nice curveball!). youtube.com/watch?time_con 0:09 1.3K views Online baseball performance training programs for youth and advanced players! So, you see more MLB pitchers throwing changeups that are harder (8-12% slower than their fastball) but with lots of downward movement. Marshall threw his two-seam fastball similar to this Edgertronic footage, but from a left-handed release. Chosen by RHP David Robertson, LHP Justin Steele, LHP Wade Miley, RHP Adrian Sampson and LHP Brandon Hughes. Fold your other two fingers down the sides, and turn the ball inside as you release like youre pouring out a can of Coke. One of the biggest frustrations for pitchers new to the changeup is that they bounce it too much. [In the regular season], I would have started flipping a lot more breaking balls or tried something a lot different, Steele said. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. port melbourne football club past players. And according to Hendricks, he grips it similarly. Dartmouth's Hendricks Is Chicago's Brainy Ace. Faster changeups were more effective; slower were much more effective. In this guide to throwing a changeup, well dive into the grips, the arm action, spin, hand action and much more. **According to Pitch F/X, Chris Sale and Zach Davies didnt throw any four-seam fastballs in 2016. A changeup should be slower than a fastball by 10-12%, which means if you throw 70mph, a changeup should be 7-8 miles per hour slower (62-63mph). Or, if all else fails, we can just say screw it and just throw a splitter; thatll work as a poor-mans changeup. Well, we have some good news for you. Steele went into the offseason knowing he wanted to put on at least a little weight. Kyle Hendricks' Changeup . Another quick question, then Ill let you go. Instead, their two-seam fastball velocities are given. "I just didn't have it last year," Hendricks said. The goal is to not make the hand tense by stretching the pink or index down the ball this is why making a circle with the index finger is detrimental, at least on this grip, as it will make the whole hand tense. His fastball command issues led to four walks in less than three innings. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. There should be no difference in the way a little leaguer or other youth pitcher throws a changeup, as compared to a high-level or Big Leaguer. Next. This allows the ball to roll farther off the fingers as its released, increasing spin. Lots of amateur players and parents have this question. I recently discovered that the same principle seems to work for slider movement, which is actually hugely important. He was a good-though-not-great pitcher . With his pitch count climbing in the second inning, the Cubs took advantage of spring-training rules, pulling him with two outs and then putting him back in for the third inning. Your email address will not be published. Its a small blue box, a little bit bigger than a wallet that captures images at extremely high frame rates. For a RHP looking at the back of his hand, and the ball as a clock, place the thumb at 7 oclock, the little finger at 5 oclock and the first 3 fingers on top of the ball at 11, 12, 1 oclock. Dan, I was a Baseball Ops consultant for the Red Sox and did an analysis of changeup effectiveness. Spring training is more important than you think. Required fields are marked *. This is basic, but needs to be addressed in any good changeup article. "Hendricks sits at 86.7 mph with his two-seamer (slower than some of the other changeups picked here). We tilt the axis of rotation of the ball to a diagonal axis, which will result in angled downward movement a mix of both arm-side lateral movement (run) and sink. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Tyler Chatwood seems likely to rejoin the rotation after a year of serving in a swingman role, alongside southpaw Jose Quintana and the elder statesman of the group in Jon Lester. I had this conversation with a friend of mine who is a scout and former Big Leaguer. How much should I be concerned. Maybe you have an explanation. The changeup Hendricks threw at the time notably wasn't the same as the one he uses in the majors. "That's a big step," veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks said. Kyle Hendricks purposefully cuts his changeup sometimes. Palm ball? They put up a .903 OPS against Pinedas offspeed pitch, and it didnt seem to matter if he located it down and away against lefties: Pinedas poor changeup shouldnt come as a surprise. Ive only encountered this a few times and Matt Clement was one pitcher I recall reading about that could run his sinker away from RH batters if he kept it down in the zone.