A combination of arm-side movement, known as run, and sinking movement. Excellent explanations Dan. Kyle Hendricks' changeup. He can locate his sinker well, though, and has a good change. 0 0 Less than a minute. Your email address will not be published. Despite slight differences in grip, most other pitches are thrown in the same way across pitchers. Kyle Hendricks is a solid and consistent pitcher. 1 - Kyle Hendricks (Cubs) - 19.7% Whiff rate, 62 Adjusted Contact Score For my money, Hendricks throws the best changeup in the game. Though a straight change perhaps looks exactly like a straight fastball (thus making it very deceptive), pure deception isnt the end goal. It sounds like a cutter to me but thats not a pitch that is associated with sinking. check out my proven programs for pitchers of all ages, check out my proven programsfor pitchers of all ages. Follow him on Twitter @enosarris if you can handle the sandwiches and inanity. 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! Take a look. I taught myself how to throw a changeup in my junior year in college, and it became my best pitch in pro baseball. 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. The table below shows the qualified pitchers with the 10 highest pitch values for changeups, in terms of FanGraphs Pitch Values metric. FanGraphs had Michael Pineda throwing a two-seam fastball 3.7% of the time, which is more than zero. We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Another quick question, then Ill let you go. (Its no surprise that Zack Greinke has the lowest sinker spin in baseball this season. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted If they want to learn to throw a changeup well, they need feedback. Pitchers who use four-seam grips need a large velocity gap between their fastball and changeup, looking at the table shown above. Eight? 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. 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. 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. The ball should rest up against the top ridge of the palm or at the base of the fingers. 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 But what about James Shields heavily-sinking changeup? Hendricks rotates the ball backwards less than 90 degrees, allowing his two fingers to sit right below the horseshoe (the right side of the split screen at the 50-second mark). Feedback is crucial in figuring out which versions are good and which are bad, and without it, the pitch wont improve because the percentage of good vs bad changeups wont skew in the right direction. Too many pitchers throw too many pitches. By Alexi Pappas. I also loved Felix Hernandezs changeup and Kyle Hendricks as well. But Santana just threw it with such deceptive arm speed, and then it came out super slow. Heard Hendricks is thinking of changing his name. His fastball command issues led to four walks in less than three innings. Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. Releasing the ball too much from the side caused by turning the hand over too much. My All-Time favorite was Johan Santana, though his relied more on greater speed change (15% or so) than movement. Straight changeups are sooooo old-school. You want something with different speed, Marshall said. 23 for '23: What is the Cubs' plan at third base? The hand action provides the second 4.5mph, and that action is the same as a sinker, and somewhat opposite of a slider: pronating the hand on the inside of the ball just before release. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks' changeup has been a staple of his big-league success. Condition 3: Overall hand tension must be as low as possible. June 7, 2022 . It gets confusing. Your email address will not be published. When Hendricks is on, weve seen this in action. I dont want my son to end up straining. Still, it is something to think about going forward for Pineda. Hendricks' changeup became more productive alongside it. Pingback: "Going JUCO" - Is Playing NJCAA Baseball a Risky Move? It takes a lot of skill to make it to the Majors, and a great offspeed repertoire is part of that. In my years as a baseball academy owner and professional pitcher, Ive taught this pitch with equally great effect to 11-year olds and 25-year old pros. The problem is that he doesnt throw a two-seam fastball to go along with his two-seam changeup. Kyle Hendricks changeup How to grip a change up The ball is gripped deep in the hand, balanced and held loosely. 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. Its a little slower than your traditional slider, without as much vertical break as most sliders, but it looks a bit like a slider. Pull the string! Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. The actor suffered a brain aneurysm Feb. 18 at his Los Angeles home and died in his sleep Friday at a hospital in Burbank, California, his manager said. Kyle Hendricks and Greg Maddux also share the same nickname: "The Professor". Either way, it is hard not to feel like Pineda is one small adjustment away from something special. 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. His change caused more hitters to swing and miss (24.4 whiff percentage to 29.8) this season compared to last. In the meantime, subscribe to my Podcast, titled Dear Baseball Gods and find me on Instagram @coachdanblewett. Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks waves as he leaves the field following a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday, Sept . If you called his Cut Change a slutter, you might best get across what hes doing with the pitch. What allows this to be possible is the grip and hand action, both of which play equal parts in reducing the velocity output. But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters. Id say Stephen Strasburgit has such crazy sink and armside run, Im not sure how anyone ever hits it. Reset ahead of the third, he retired the side in order. It wont matter what kind of firepower the likes of Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo bring to the table if this group cant keep opponents off the board. Yet, there is no best changeup grip. Situational pitching is huge. 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%). 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. But, this is just another iteration of his changeup, a different way for a him to manipulate hitters. Thankfully, theyve got a stalwart anchor atop the rotation in Hendricks. The grip will be the same and the arm and hand action applies just the same no matter the age of the player. The changeup is especially hard to learn because it doesnt have an easily-observed break like other pitches. Condition 4: To accomplish the above, the thumb must be on the bottom of the baseball. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. One of the tools used by the Cubs is known as an Edgertronic camera. 07/31/2012. This second 5% is important not only in reducing the pitchs speed, but in also making the the changeup sink and run to the armside. But over the course of 162 games, you lose weight, he said. The changeup should also sink and run, which is movement to the pitchers armside of the plate. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 3:30 AM ET, Park Factors By movement, it's almost exactly average. Hendricks two-seamer moves 12.7 inches from left to right. The hand pronates inward, slightly, before release. I dont use a radar gun most of the time, and they wont have access to one either. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, As a pitching coach,one of my biggest tasks is overhauling a pitchers off-speed pitches. And, dont forget to sign up for my free newsletter, using the form below. The slider doesnt really fit the Cut Change by either velocity or movement, but it is closer on velocity at least. Switching grips could save Michael Pinedaschangeup, Yankees 3, Tigers 5: Michael King is back, baby. If you want to develop faster, and train better, you need the best gear. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. Palm ball? The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Part of the reason Hendricks achieves this much drop is due to his ability to kill spin. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Before leaving to join Team Israel, Cubs prospect Matt Mervis shared why this WBC means so much to him. This usually happens for a few reason: Watch the video below for some more great troubleshooting tips related to bouncing it. The power finger, or [index finger], is off the ball, Marshall said. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. His repertoire made him more of a pitcher than a thrower, making Wright wary whether pro scouts eventually would. Kyle Hendricks assigned to Tennessee Smokies from Daytona Cubs. Hendricks earned the moniker because of his artful pitching and uncanny resemblance to Maddux. I send out great new information each week on all things baseball. 3. Both his whiff rate and his Adjusted Contact Score are. Learn how your comment data is processed. His excellent strikeout numbers and walk numbers, combined with his below average ERA have perplexed many, with a few explanations floating out there. This is a key part of the changeup grip. kyle hendricks changeup grip The Changeup should be 10-12% slower than a fastball. 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. 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. 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). Also like fastballs, changeups thrown with a two-seam grip get more run and fade. Hey, thanks for the article! But Scherzer dominated, limiting opponents to a .126 average in at-bats ending against the pitch - 12 points lower than deGrom's average. The answer depends on the other big half of the equation: movement. According to Pitch F/X data, Pineda gets five more inches of horizontal movement on his changeup than on his fastball. Others choose pitch types that just dont make sense, which I cover in the video below. Lets sum up those two pitches by movement and results so we can get a better sense of them. If the thumb is not beneath the ball, as in the circle change grip, the fingertips will tense up to prevent the ball from simply falling out of the hand. Rather, the pink and index finger comfortably rest on the side of the ball, as they dont have a strong role. Last year, he used the breaking ball 9.5 percent of the time. Max Scherzers slider is the poster child. When force is applied to the center of the baseball, the baseball will come out hard, because all of the available arm speed is going into propelling the ball forward and applying backspin. Theo Epstein called Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks the "foundation" of the Cubs rotation. This takes velocity off the ball and creates movement. Cubs lefty Justin made his third start of spring training against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. His thought? 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. #cubs #mlb #pitching2022 MLB Strikeout Reels playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYkCwy6ah6d_xXaI7mM8OIIIr7AeW0zuA2022 College Baseball Strikeout Re. Hendricks has a conventional change that gets unconventional whiffs, perhaps because he shows identical arm speed or has some deception in his delivery. If it can be a more effective weapon, maybe Sunday night's 14 percent usage is a sign of things to come this year. 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. Which version is best? x-mov is in inches, with negative denoting movement towards the rightys arm-side. Design by DAYO, *I hate spam too, only the best for my subscribers, CSP Elite Baseball Development Podcast: Kyle Hendricks, I will never spam you or share your email, Why different athletes need different approaches to power development, Why its essential that you learn to train outside the sagittal plane, Which medicine ball and plyometric variations I use with baseball players, Why not all throwers have identical deceleration patterns or training needs, How your arm care programs can be improved to reduce the risk of injury and improve throwing velocity, Why Kyle chose to move across the country out of high school and attend Dartmouth College, How Kyle has developed his ability to manipulate the baseball to create movement, 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, What Kyles thought process is when throwing his changeup and how late hand speed out front trumps early, forced pronation with the pitch, How Kyle developed a cut changeup, which is differentiated from his regular changeup, How Kyle approaches attacking hitters and why he emphasizes throwing first pitch strikes and controlling counts against hitters, Why Kyles four seam fastball usage increased in 2016 and why this change allowed him to have more margin for error and improve the effectiveness with his fastball, How Kyle learned to read swings and bat paths in pro ball and how this has influenced how he competes against hitters, How Kyle prepares by utilizing coaches scouting reports along with video to develop a plan for success against the opposition, Why Kyle has always been intrigued by the mental side of baseball and how he has used it to develop an edge in the game, How simplification has revolutionized Kyles ability to master his mentality, control the game, and play to his highest ability, Why Kyle works to find a balance between using analytics and relying on his intuition, What pitch clicks in the bullpen when Kyle is set to have a great game and how Kyle knows when he is locked in, How Kyle attacks throwing his various pitches in his daily throwing progression, How individuals who lack elite velocity can identify their strengths and learn to separate themselves from the competition, Avoid the most common deadlifting mistakes. The changeup is the most historically misunderstood baseball pitch. best cars to camber in forza horizon 4 kyle hendricks changeup grip. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. A tense hand also tends to force the changeup into the ground, resulting in spiked changeups that are often the signature of beginners. The changeup grip I teach in this article is very easy to learn and produces a heavily-sinking changeup with armside movement. Condition 1: Pressure must be at the junction of the palm and fingers, not on the fingertips. Were ecstatic to announce a new partnership between Rawlings and Cressey Sports Performance, and theyve set up a 20% off discount code on select products for our listeners. Tension and fingertip pressure will result in the pitcher hooking the pitch into the ground more often. 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. Because he's both upped his usage and . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses cookies. Not working on and using the pitch enough to master it. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Cubs Spring Training Notebook: A leadoff option emerges. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. This counteracts the idea that killing more spin automatically means more downward movement (multiple factors go into the movement of every pitch). The best changeups feature the following: James Shields is one of the best examples. Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks talks about when in his career he developed what he calls his most important pitch: the changeup. Remember this: Even though this site describes a method of throwing five or six different pitches, it does not mean any pitcher should attempt to learn or throw all these pitches. does st martin parish have school tomorrow. Its a small blue box, a little bit bigger than a wallet that captures images at extremely high frame rates. 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. RHP Kyle Hendricks assigned to SOU North Division All-Stars. Although Kyle Hendricks is not a pitcher in need of change given his prolonged success with below-average velocity, comparing him to other pitchers with the footage from Edgertronic cameras provides insight into how he succeeds. If so, then stick with me! 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. Not so much. Pinedas offspeed pitch is thrown with a two-seam grip (the main photo in this post shows his changeup grip). Youd be forgiven for calling the Cut Change a slider. Youll learn everything you need to know to throw one that sinks and runs with great deception and arm speed. He keeps his arm speed exactly the same, Marshall said. Steele has yet to fully highlight the changeup in three spring starts. Jun 9, 2022 26 Dislike Share Chicago Cubs 206K subscribers Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks talks about when in his career he developed what he calls his most important pitch: the changeup. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. The breaking pitches create more stress on the elbow joint and bicep in young pitchers may not be developed enough to properly decelerate the forearm. 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. Its just gonna be a game-changer for him, Hendricks said. Ive read hundreds of scouting reports on pitchers and I had never heard of that pitch. In this development stage, he wants to get ahead of hitters before mixing it in. The middle and ring finger MUST be close together. You try to tell the difference when he tunnels those two pitches.". Gloveside changeups for called strikes? We maximize lateral spin application by forcing the ball to roll up the fingers before finally releasing off the fingertip. Hendricks rotates the ball backwards less than 90 degrees, allowing his two fingers to sit right below the horseshoe (the right side of the split screen at the 50-second mark). Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes won the NL Cy Young last year and was supposed to be the. Kyle Hendricks, left, and Alexi Pappas as Dartmouth freshmen, in a photo from Pappas. Thegrip, shown below, is really a hybrid between the circle change and other grips. 04/02/2013. 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. 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! Theyll get more of the barrel to the ball than if your changeup meets that 10-12% slower than the fastball criteria that I outlined before. We may request cookies to be set on your device. 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. I wrote an article on Elitebaseballperformance.com on the same topic, so check that out as well. Examples of fastball counts are 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 2-1, 3-1, and 3-2. 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. But what creates that downward movement on Hendricks changeup is, in part, his grip. I did it earlier today, when I called him a two-pitch pitcher. It just wont get hitters out on their front foot enoughthe speed change wont be enough to really throw off their timing. 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. Hendricks runs his fastball up to 94 MPH, mixing in a slider, curve, and changeup. There is no one way to skin this cat! Watch below to see if this is the type of pitch youd like to learn. Yankees 4, Nationals 2: Walk-off Wednesday, The Yankees Top 10 Prospects: No. 12? Hendricks grip is one of the factors that allows him to kill as much spin as possible and achieve this above-average sink. Call it what you will, its a different pitch. The ball is held deeper by the middle and ring fingers, which are less powerful as a combination than the index and middle. Besides advising Hendricks to sharpen an edge, Budner adjusted the grip on a changeup that eventually became his most effective pitch. There are tons of contradictions and conflicting details in scouting reports. The finger tips and pads are raised slightly and the finger pressure is between the first and second finger joints. Breaking pitches are slower than fastballs not because they are thrown with less intensity. Hendricks achieved a season high in curveball usage (25%) and whiffs (5), finishing off two hitters with the pitch. That sounds a little better already. If the thumb cradles the ball from the bottom, the rest of the hand can be almost completely relaxed. This allows coaches like Tommy Hottovy or Craig Breslow to examine the minutia of how a pitcher releases a pitch. He thanks Murphy apparently quite the chef for that gain. He was a good-though-not-great pitcher . If we cut our changeup, how does it vary from a slider? In short, Hendricks changed the grip of his curveball back during his Cy Young-caliber 2016 season, from a four-seam grip to a two-seam grip, in an effort to build up some increased confidence in a pitch he wasn't using as often as he probably should've been. The fact is Hendricks and Maddux share numerous similarities - mechanics, stuff, statistics, and even a nickname. ""Hendricks sits at 86.7 mph with his two-seamer (slower than some of the other changeups picked here). This is basic, but needs to be addressed in any good changeup article. Instead, hes thrived on the tactics long employed by a former Cubs ace, Greg Maddux, in control and movement. The odd thing about Hendricks is that his changeup actually spins more than his fastball, roughly 300 rpm more on average in 2020. Steele found himself forcing the fastball, his upper body getting ahead of his lower body. Not technically. Copyright - EliteBaseballPerformance.com, Part of The Advanced Continuing Education Institute -. Hook em horns grip? All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Learn more. At the 2:09 mark in the video above, this slight grip alteration between Hendricks sinker and changeup is the only thing thats noticeable. And, what grip will get him there? Just head to www.Rawlings.com and enter coupon code CRESSEY20 and youll receive 20% off on your order. NYY vs. DET: Gerrit Cole vs Michael Lorenzen. Kyle Hendricks knows he's struggled the last two seasons. The grip helps us remove speed from a changeup while simultaneously applying spin to it. "That's a big step," veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks said. Or, if all else fails, we can just say screw it and just throw a splitter; thatll work as a poor-mans changeup. He reminds me of Brad Lidge, who threw a slider that appeared to have mostly downward movement. Yankees Mailbag: Managing the infield and Domnguez hype. I had this conversation with a friend of mine who is a scout and former Big Leaguer. 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 explain to my pitchers that speed reduction comes from two factors, making up a 10% reduction in speed: Its important to not think about the changeup as having a set MPH reduction, because this couldnt possibly be the same for a 13-year-old pitcher and a 19-year old. 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. For all other changeups, as movement decreases, speed change must proportionally increase. High school and college pitchers should try to master just three pitches. Circle change? Though this works quite well for him, it's not the standard version for most pitchers, for one main reason: pitchers need a pitch that breaks away from opposite-handed hitters. 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. Essentially, its no different than a slider or cutter Think about Noah Syndergaards extra-hard slider, and how hard it is to hit. Make sure youre throwing a repertoire that fits your body, your arm slot, your pitching style and age level. The wrist and hand are pronated a little early which stops the wrist from popping forward. 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 other stuff is elite. Josh Breaux becomes the latest Yankee catcher to go down to injury; the Yankees are on the lookout for replacements behind the plate; a profile of super-prospect Anthony Volpe; how players react to becoming Yankees. This tactic is HUGE and is a major reason why the changeup is so effective. Instead, their two-seam fastball velocities are given. In 2016, he threw his changeup 8.5% of the time, according to Pitch F/X data. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. kyle hendricks changeup gripinchkeith house mental health team Consultation Request a Free Consultation Now. 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. 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. All of which is a lengthy preamble to guide you to the point of this whole piece, which was Hendricks' changeup usage and results from Wednesday. Although other factors come into play, less spin means less resistance to the downward force of gravity, which allows the ball to drop more than expected. To do this, the thumb must be on the bottom.