Changeup
Same arm, far less speed: the pitch that wins on timing.
A Changeup flying to home plate in 3D, from the catcher's view.
What it does
A changeup is thrown with the arm speed of a fastball but arrives much slower, with little spin. It takes over a tenth of a second longer to reach the plate, and with less lift it also sinks more.
How to read it
The arm says fastball but the ball seems to float out of the hand, and the seams turn slowly. Stay back: the hitters it fools are the ones who are already swinging.
What makes it work
The speed gap is the weapon. A gap of 10 to 15 mph with identical arm action is worth more than any amount of movement.
The numbers
| Speed at release | 50 mph |
|---|---|
| Speed at the plate | 44.6 mph |
| Time to the plate | 0.55 s |
| Spin rate | 550 rpm |
| Break direction (clock) | 6:30 |
| Spin efficiency | 77% |
| Movement from spin, up or down | 8.6 in down |
| Movement from spin, sideways | 1.6 in to the arm side |
| Total drop with gravity | 68.0 in |
A typical Changeup from a right-handed pitcher at 43 feet in still air, from the AXIS43 flight model. A physics estimate, not a radar reading.