kyle hendricks changeup grip kyle hendricks changeup grip

As for the changeup, Steele wanted a bigger drop in velocity from his fastball. The Fade Change is on the left, the Cut Change is on the right. You try to tell the difference when he tunnels those two pitches.". Were excited to welcome Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks to this weeks podcast. Edgertronic cameras can capture images at over 2,000 fps. He had been between about 195 and 205 pounds, generally, and feeling good. Yet, the grip is just one piece of the puzzle, as the hand action is more important. His reliance on movement and location could, at least in theory, help him age better than someone whos sole focus on the mound is blowing heaters past opponents. Same scenario but different pitch. First, he averaged just 5.5 mph of separation between his fastball and changeup, with the latter clocking in at an average 88.5 mph. Its critical to remember that early on in the learning process, bouncing your changeup will be somewhat normal. A slider has defined spin, a mixture of bullet-spin, forward and side spin that creates a visible red dot. Dropping the hand and elbow and short arming across the body. Several MLB hitters claimed to be able to read the spin of pitches, which might be impacting the effectiveness of Pinedas changeup. We DONT want pressure to be on the fingertips, but rather at the very bottom of the fingers. When thrown the above way, we will reliably achieve a 10% (plus or minus) speed reduction that can easily be repeated at any intensity. Just head to www.Rawlings.com and enter coupon code CRESSEY20 and youll receive 20% off on your order. When Hendricks is on, weve seen this in action. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted They throw very different speeds, so its best to think of a changeup as having a scaling, percentage-based speed reduction: 10% or so. Oct. 22, 2016; In 2008, my freshman year at Dartmouth, I lived on the third floor of Fahey . Call it what you will, its a different pitch. The fact is Hendricks and Maddux share numerous similarities - mechanics, stuff, statistics, and even a nickname. Kyle Hendricks assigned to Daytona Cubs from Tennessee Smokies. Fellow right-hander Yu Darvish is certainly capable of making hitters look foolish, but hell need to hone in on the consistency we saw from him in the second half of last year, when he made 13 starts and ran off a 111/7 strikeout-to-walk mark. Before leaving to join Team Israel, Cubs prospect Matt Mervis shared why this WBC means so much to him. If a changeup is dead-straight, being closer to a 12% reduction is ideal (79mph off a 90mph fastball). If Michael Pineda never puts it together, no one will ever be able to say that it was due to a lack of effort from internet analysts trying to diagnose his problems. By looking at a combination of Google Images and the disparity in horizontal movement between their four seam fastballs and changeups, I tried to guess what grip each pitcher was using: *Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks has two changeups. by Handedness, R.A. Dickeys Unique Stuff and Conventional Problems. So the answer here is kind of, but the changeup really isnt technically a breaking ball. Even change ups out of the strike zone can be effective because it effects a hitter's confidence that he can sit on the fastball. The average movement of 3 to 3.5 was least effective. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. We maximize lateral spin application by forcing the ball to roll up the fingers before finally releasing off the fingertip. This actually makes sense if you realize that MLB hitters pick up the changeup spin more often than not. This allows the ball to roll farther off the fingers as its released, increasing spin. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. very good and useful article I thank you. Thats a big step, veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks said. We need to think of paintbrushing the hand over the changeup. By Alexi Pappas. From my years pitching professionally, my experience has been that the more movement a changeup has, the harder it can be thrown. Hendricks earned the moniker because of his artful pitching and uncanny resemblance to Maddux. We reduce speed because less force is applied to the center of the ball; we are converting speed into spin just like a breaking pitch. The ball should rest up against the top ridge of the palm or at the base of the fingers. The basement of speed change is about 8%. when he made 13 starts and ran off a 111/7 strikeout-to-walk mark. The lesson was to concentrate on deception, command, and movement and accept whatever velo differential comes with it, and not to worry about it. He thanks Murphy apparently quite the chef for that gain. Hendricks sinker achieves about 26 inches of downward vertical movement on average, roughly five inches more than league average in 2020. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The change up is supposed to be. Having the thumb underneath also allows pitchers to throw the ball as hard as they can without constantly spiking it. The more speed we remove, the more the pitch must deviate from a fastballs initial trajectory, thus making it look less like a fastball out of the hand. Oct 11, 2017 Do you have a picture/video of Maddux's 2 seam grip? As it turns out, the changeup method I teach is incredibly easy to learn for pitchers of all ages, and it starts with the grip. You can do so HERE. Provided the speed reduction is there, anomalies in movement are okay, and to be expected no two pitchers are alike. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. The ball should rest up against the top ridge of the palm or at the base of the fingers. Essentially, its no different than a slider or cutter Think about Noah Syndergaards extra-hard slider, and how hard it is to hit. Required fields are marked *. He limits baserunners (both via hit and walk) and home runs, leading to a solid ERA. Now Available! Steele and his girlfriend, Libby Murphy, are expecting their first child, a boy, in July. The changeup was traditionally just a pitch that was slowerit was straight and slower, that was it. A tense hand also tends to force the changeup into the ground, resulting in spiked changeups that are often the signature of beginners. Not only do pitchers and pitching coaches have to work on maintaining the grip, the shape and everything else that goes into throwing a pitch, but they also have to make sure pitchers have that confidence in it before they even . Next. What is an appropriate age? Where you place your middle and ring fingers is VERY important they work together to apply the proper spin, to get the pitch to rotate much like a discoball does. How to Throw a Curveball - The Definitive Guide, Here are The Best Pitching Drills for Young Players in 2021, The grip doesnt work well for them (tinker and try others), Without the thumb on the bottom, theyre forced to tense their hands up to keep the ball secure, Theyre guiding it and not throwing it like a normal fastball. The Mets had a prospect in their system with a solid repertoire but he was having trouble adding an off speed pitch. This is because, when on the bottom, it can hold the ball firmly in place against the bottom bridge of the fingers. Over the course of six innings, he generated a 55.6 percent whiff rate with the change, his highest such mark with that pitch since April 8 of last year (58.3 percent, also against the Brewers). Though this works quite well for him, its not the standard version for most pitchers, for one main reason: pitchers need a pitch that breaks away from opposite-handed hitters. 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 article from Forbes details whiff rate. His repertoire made him more of a pitcher than a thrower, making Wright wary whether pro scouts eventually would. Simply head to www.Rawlings.com and use the code, CRESSEY20, at checkout and youll save 20% off your order! This tactic is HUGE and is a major reason why the changeup is so effective. If we were to name the two, we might name one the Cut Change, and the other the Fade Change. If we compromise on a goal of 10% speed reduction, which will be ideal for the majority of pitchers, we need to understand how we obtain that reduction. Practice is key, but to throw a changeup really well, we want to employ some strategies. Last updated: July 27, 2020 Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks throwing a sinker (sinking fastball) and changeup. Casey Sutherland may have just 12 games of experience with the Red Sox, but he has already shown dominance while fulfilling a childhood dream. Pitchers want to create as many variables as possible to prevent the hitter from getting barrel to ball. RHP Kyle Hendricks assigned to Iowa Cubs from Tennessee Smokies. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Pingback: "Going JUCO" - Is Playing NJCAA Baseball a Risky Move? There are tons of contradictions and conflicting details in scouting reports. Maybe this was unique to Clement. 10,000+ people already dosign up now! Overturning the wrist to make it. So, we need a combination of the hand being as relaxed as possible while still being held securely. OK, so maybe it wasn't the complete game shutout we saw on Opening Day in 2020. It sounds like a cutter to me but thats not a pitch that is associated with sinking. Because any slower than this and the arm has to begin slowing downits very rare to see pitchers throw a pitcher much slower than 10-12% with their normal delivery and full arm speed. Cubs Spring Training Notebook: Swanson's winning mentality, Lester's mark on Steele, Cubs make some spring history. Ross has not yet announced the order. Theres too many questions, too much confusion with the changeup. Click on the different category headings to find out more. What allows this to be possible is the grip and hand action, both of which play equal parts in reducing the velocity output. Hendricks' focus on the mound is utilizing his below-average velocity in conjunction with the excellent movement on his pitches, specifically his elite changeup. At the 50-second mark in the video above, theres an example of this grip from an Edgertronic camera. Pitches that got more arm-side run went into the Fade basket, and the everything that got more glove-side movement than -3 went into the Cut basket. For a veteran pitcher who throws a curveball, sinker, sinking changeup, mixing in an occasional cutting changeup will definitely confuse a hitter. Twitter: https://twitter.com/cubs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cubs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cubs/ Snapchat: http://Snapchat.com/add/Cubs TikTok: http://bit.ly/3jRYPkM They, together, accomplish this task of applying spin and speed over and inward on the ball. Pressure should be from the thumb to the bottom of the middle and ring fingers. The least effective velocity differential was 11.1 mph. He wasnt particularly bad at locating his changeup, as shown by a heatmap from FanGraphs: However, hitters were particularly good at hitting his changeup. Pingback: How to Throw a Curveball - The Definitive Guide, Pingback: Here are The Best Pitching Drills for Young Players in 2021. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Forcing the fingers down the sides of the baseball are one of a few culprits that cause undue hand tension. 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). ), Hendricks sinker has a little bit different of a grip, Marquee Sports Network analyst Sean Marshall said. Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes! Fold your other two fingers down the sides, and turn the ball inside as you release like youre pouring out a can of Coke. Online baseball performance training programs for youth and advanced players! His changeup? Maybe you have an explanation. My All-Time favorite was Johan Santana, though his relied more on greater speed change (15% or so) than movement. Changeups that start and leave from the fingertips do not gather as much spin, and often fly too straight or flat.. youtube.com/watch?time_con 0:09 1.3K views Instead, their two-seam fastball velocities are given. 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. The changeup Hendricks threw at the time notably wasn't the same as the one he uses in the majors. Hes a little bit higher up on the horseshoe [of the baseball].. I don't view the change up as a strike out pitch, but a pitch that is miss timed causing weak contact. 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. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks starts during a spring training game March 4, 2014, between. The Changeup should be 10-12% slower than a fastball. Turn the hand on the inside of the ball to apply spin. Learn how your comment data is processed. Unsurprisingly, Hendricks' changeup was the runaway . Make sure youre throwing a repertoire that fits your body, your arm slot, your pitching style and age level. 15% will throw get the same speed reduction with predominantly lateral movement, and another 15% will get the same speed reduction, but only sinking movement. There are a few conditions that result in more reliable hand action and spin application, which are made difficult or impossible by certain grips. 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. The ball comes out in a unique way, with a tumbling spin rather than an angled axis. Today, well focus on the elusive third pitch. In this free 47-minute presentation, you'll learn: Written on December 18, 2019 at 4:51 am, by Eric Cressey. Spring training is, after all, a time to work through timing issues. The guy is near unhittable and with good reason. His thought? Steele went into the offseason knowing he wanted to put on at least a little weight. Cubs Spring Training Notebook: Hayden Wesneski states his case for Opening Day rotation, why Lesters loss Sunday comes with multiple positives, Marquee Sports Network - Television Home of the Chicago Cubs and Sky. [] part one of this series on the changeup, we discussed the modern changeup, a version of the changeup that is typified by [], Your email address will not be published. I chewed over this data, which still seemed counter-intuitive, and then calculated what percentage of effectiveness was attributed to velo differential (which is not obvious at all from the numbers in the analysis). From there, they can decide to alter the movement profile of the pitch by tweaking its release. Hey, thanks for the article! A few of my high school pitchers threw to the Rapsodo device and turned in spin-efficiencies of 90% or better, indicating a very clean diagonal spin axis on their changeups, confirming that what I believed was happening. You can check these in your browser security settings. He can locate his sinker well, though, and has a good change. Now, Pitch F/X and Trackman grading of pitches has shown us that a changeup with more movement is harder for hitters to hit, even if the speed change is less. His excellent strikeout numbers and walk numbers, combined with his below average ERA have perplexed many, with a few explanations floating out there. When Hendricks broke out in 2016, it was keyed by catching coach Mike Borzello and advanced scouting and run prevention coordinator Tommy Hottovy showing him data that he was becoming. Spiking a changeup is caused by the finger tips hooking it into the ground. The grip helps us remove speed from a changeup while simultaneously applying spin to it. This pitch, in comparison to the deGrom one above, exhibits how a changeup's effectiveness isn't about how fast or slow one is thrown, but rather how well it plays off a pitcher's fastball. The mailbag zeroes in on the infield jam with a particular solution being pitched. But, the output is fine for him its different, but still exceptionally effective. Suddenly, Kyle Hendricks is a three-pitch guy, with an elite change, a good slider, and good command of a good sinker. His fastball command issues led to four walks in less than three innings. This is a key part of the changeup grip. But cutters are usually about two miles slower than a pitchers fastball, while this Cut Change is almost 10 mph slower than Hendricks fastball. But, how much slower? 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. Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks waves as he leaves the field following a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday, Sept . The test is, the ball is still held in place with all four fingers straightened. I also loved Felix Hernandezs changeup and Kyle Hendricks as well. He consistently beats a higher FIP. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. We all know that Hendricks has a first rate changeup, but it may surprise some to learn exactly how good it is. Pinedas offspeed pitch is thrown with a two-seam grip (the main photo in this post shows his changeup grip). Just remember: even the nastiest pitch still needs to be thrown at the right time in an at-bat to maximize its effectiveness. But today, well bust some changeup myths and give you all the tools to throw a great one. kyle hendricks changeup gripinchkeith house mental health team Consultation Request a Free Consultation Now. Lawmakers and others should not seek to undo laws meant to protect people from gun violence. This sinking, running action is critical in giving the hitter not only a speed change to try to figure out, but also a moving pitch to content with. To do this, the thumb must be on the bottom. Its an effective pitch pretty much anytime its thrown, but throwing a changeup in fastball counts is the most effective. Armed with his devastating changeup and an unshakable quiet confidence, the Dartmouth alum is ready to take his place as one of the games most elite aces. Since making his big league debut with the team back in 2014, youve never had to wonder what you were going to get every fifth day. According to Statcast, Hendricks got 16 called strikes and 4 whiffs on his fastballs, which is just excellent and a huge reason his changeup netted an impressive 10 whiffs on just 25 offerings (40%). Then, let your index and pinky fingers fall gently to the side of the ball. It was awesome. 07/31/2012. Hes done all this despite lacking the overpowering velocity that most teams aces boast. Fosh changeup? In this development stage, he wants to get ahead of hitters before mixing it in. How Kyle worked diligently to develop his changeup and how players can better develop this feel pitch How throwing a quality changeup actually helped Kyle learn to throw a two seam fastball How grip, specifically pinky position on the baseball, impacted the effectiveness of his changeup 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. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. 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). Pull the string! The grip will only account for a 5% speed reduction when force is applied to the center of the baseball. Hendricks, in a way, sacrifices that extra killed spin on his changeup for a nearly identical arm slot and release point to his sinker, creating a superb amount of deception. Reset ahead of the third, he retired the side in order. I have a question for you after reading your article. Or, if all else fails, we can just say screw it and just throw a splitter; thatll work as a poor-mans changeup. . When the batter is ahead in count - 1-0, 2-1, or 2-0, When a hitter is trying to pull or is out in front of the pitches. The odd thing about Hendricks is that his changeup actually spins more than his fastball, roughly 300 rpm more on average in 2020. 08/01/2012. 1 - Kyle Hendricks (Cubs) - 19.7% Whiff rate, 62 Adjusted Contact Score For my money, Hendricks throws the best changeup in the game. But, then again, does it matter? AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Hendricks throws a sinker and changeup within 7-8 mph of one another. When you learn to throw a changeup, the grip is about half the equation. If youbelieve adding velocity could be critical to your success,check out my proven programsfor pitchers of all ages. (Its no surprise that Zack Greinke has the lowest sinker spin in baseball this season. I use a simple step-by-step approach to teaching the pitch the cornerstone of which is watching and giving constant feedback on ball spin. So, you see more MLB pitchers throwing changeups that are harder (8-12% slower than their fastball) but with lots of downward movement. ""Hendricks sits at 86.7 mph with his two-seamer (slower than some of the other changeups picked here). To add to the positive changes in his life, Steele is expected to break camp in the Cubs rotation or, as manager David Ross put it Tuesday morning, Steele has a strong chance of doing so. Which version is best? Thats an 8-mph differential between two pitches that follow the same trajectory. Depending on the pitcher and his unique way of executing the pitch, the output will vary slightly. Id say Stephen Strasburgit has such crazy sink and armside run, Im not sure how anyone ever hits it. Palm ball? But, breaking balls are typically the slider, curveball and cutterpitches that their primary purpose is to break by curving or cutting. Several years before Kendrick started throwing his cut change I had came across the pitch in the Minor League Scouting Notebook. The slider doesnt really fit the Cut Change by either velocity or movement, but it is closer on velocity at least. Even many major league pitchers are successful with three basic pitches. The result has caught the attention of Hendricks, who relies heavily on his own changeup. By pronating the hand onto the inside of the ball just before release (think pouring out a can of soda), we accomplish two things: And with that, we have given the changeup a reliable set of characteristics just like any other pitch. I wanted to go back out there and fix what I was doing wrong, he said. And, straight? No, Im not blowing smokeIve taught lots of pitchers over the years, and its not hard to produce a heavy sinking changeup. I would like to know how an 8-year-old childs arm can be strengthened, help me on that, thanks. Hendricks runs his fastball up to 94 MPH, mixing in a slider, curve, and changeup. And I was able to, so it was good to end on that note.. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. This allows them to work together, as a unit, to turn inward on the ball, to make it sink and run. Max Scherzers slider is the poster child. And according to Hendricks, he grips it similarly. 12? There is one more thing that stands out when looking at the movement of his fastball and changeup. Righty-on-righty changeups? Heres what David Adler had to say about the right-handers elite offspeed stuff. 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. Dont try to get too much backside drive and hip rotation into the pitch. And when they did hit his changeup, they hit the ball on the ground more often (39. . Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. As a pitching coach,one of my biggest tasks is overhauling a pitchers off-speed pitches. But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters.