The change-up is one of the most effective pitches in softball because it looks like a fastball to a hitter before coming out slower and dropping close to the plate. According to Sports Illustrated, backdoor change-ups can look bizarre because they are thrown backhanded. The motion of the hand causes the pitch to take a late move over the outside or backdoor of the plate for a right-handed batter, so mastering this pitch can make you quite hard to hit.
Change-Ups
The idea of a change-up is to throw a pitch that looks like a fastball to the hitter. The hitter should then be fooled and be off balance and either take the pitch, swing too early and miss or hit it very weakly and usually on the ground. According to softball pitching coach Gerald Warner, the backdoor, turnaround or flip change-up is the most commonly used method for a change. However, Warner adds that the pitch is very difficult to learn to master. Many pitchers work on the backdoor though because it is more difficult for a hitter to recognize and hit if you master the mechanics of the pitch.
Grip
According to softball coach Cindy Bristow, there are two types of grips that can be used on the standard backdoor change-up. The standard grip uses the same grip that is used on a fastball pitch, which uses just your thumb and your pinkie finger to grip the ball on the sides and leaves your middle three fingers off the ball. Bristow adds that some prefer to use a grip using all fingers while making the index finger into a small circle surrounded by the thumb. This grip will cut down on the speed of the pitch a little more since all of your fingers are on the ball.
Stride and Motion
You should use the same stride and motion that you use to throw every pitch including your fastball, because changing your arm action or stride length can tip the hitter off that a different pitch is coming. The most important thing to remember is to not slow down your arm rotation. The slower speed will come from the arm rotation at the end of the pitch and or your grip on the ball. In addition, Warner says that you should ensure that your backswing, arm circle and facial expression look just like a fastball.
Flip Rotation
There are two variations for the release of this pitch. The release looks like a standard pitch until your arm is on the downswing to the plate and you simply rotate your wrist and hand so that the outside or back of the wrist is going toward the catcher. Warner advises finishing the standard arm swing by simply releasing the ball; because your wrist is turned it will be like you are flipping the ball to the catcher. A variation of this is to keep the wrist stiff at the finish and let the ball roll of the fingers instead of flipping it. The stiff wrist action is designed to slow down the speed of the ball even more.
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