Pitching Drill: Change-Up Grips (Baseball & Softball)

Pitching drill for experimenting with different change-up grips to find which works best for each individual pitcher.

How to Run This Drill

1 partner on left/right field foul line, 1 partner 40 feet away in left/right field
Receiving partner catches down in catcher’s position
Throwing partner goes through full pitching motion to throw a change-up
Throwing partner should practice a variety of change-up grips, including, but not limited to:Three-finger change-upCenter the ring finger, middle finger, and index finger on top of the ballPlace thumb and pinky finger on the smooth underside of the ball; touching these two fingers can help to develop a tangible feel for the pitchHold the ball deep in the palm of the hand to maximize friction and reduce speed when the pitch is releasedTwo-seam change-upPlace the middle and ring fingers inside the two seamsThrow with the same arm speed as a fastball, but with a looser grip and the ball slightly deeper in the handCircle changeUse the thumb and index finger to create an “OK” sign on the ballCenter the baseball between the other three fingers, keeping it tucked comfortably against the circleThrow the pitch with the same arm speed and body mechanics as a fastball, but turn the ball slightly over by throwing the circle to the target, mimicking a “thumbs down” sign
Partners should switch every 10 throws, practicing a different grip for each set of 10