How to throw a changeup: circle change, variants, and hand types

The changeup is a speed-change pitch that is supposed to look like a fastball until it is too late. The hitter sees fastball arm speed and a fastball-like launch, starts his swing on fastball timing, and the ball arrives several miles per hour slower and lower, usually with arm-side fade. Driveline's changeup guide describes the goal as creating a timing difference through velocity separation while keeping a trajectory similar to the fastball.

It is also one of the most useful pitches for younger pitchers. The American Sports Medicine Institute recommends learning basic throwing, then fastball pitching, then change-up pitching before anything else. Lab studies point the same way: in both youth (Dun et al., 2008) and college pitchers (Fleisig et al., 2006), the changeup produced lower elbow and shoulder loads than the fastball.

Circle changeup grip, step by step

The circle change is the most common starting point. Driveline found that its most-used changeup grip (a two-seam orientation, about 35% of the grips in its sample) puts the middle and ring fingers on the seams.

1. Make the circle. Touch the tip of the index finger to the thumb (or tuck the index finger along the side of the ball) to form an "OK" sign on the side of the ball.
2. Lay the middle and ring fingers along the seams. Use the two-seam orientation, with the middle and ring fingers on or next to the narrow seams. These two fingers drive the pitch.
3. Pinky and thumb. The pinky rests on the side of the ball. The thumb sits underneath or curls into the circle.
4. Grip depth. Set the ball a little deeper in the hand than your fastball. Driveline's grip guide lists both "choke the grip deep" and a fingertip grip held "like an egg" as ways to reduce spin and speed; test which suits your hand.
5. Pressure. Firm enough not to slip, loose enough that the hand can work on the inside of the ball. Driveline warns that a grip held too tightly reduces the sidespin that creates fade.

Other changeup variants

• Straight change (three-finger). Index, middle, and ring fingers on top of the ball, with the ball deeper in the hand. Simple and easy to command, though it usually has less fade.
• Four-seam changeup. Driveline includes a four-seam orientation version; it can suit pitchers whose two-seam changeup moves too much or too little.
• Split-change. The middle and ring fingers spread a little wider around the ball, borrowing from the splitter. Driveline lists a splitter hybrid for larger hands. It kills spin and often adds depth.
• Vulcan change. A split between the middle and ring fingers. It suits some large hands and kills spin, but can feel awkward.
• Kick change. A circle-style grip where the ring finger is tucked or pressed to "kick" the ball at release, often to add depth.

Driveline's grip guide also describes tilting the fingers laterally toward the thumb to move them off a seam, which reduces raw spin. If you cannot pronate comfortably at all, the splitter or changeup decision guide explains when a splitter is the better answer.

Pronators, supinators, and the changeup

Every pitcher's forearm turns inward (pronates) as the arm finishes the throw. Coaches use "pronator" and "supinator" to describe a pitcher's natural bias near release. Pronators tend to get on the inside of the ball easily, which suits changeups, sinkers, and run. Supinators tend to get on the outside of the ball, which suits sweepers and curveballs, and often struggle to make a changeup fade.

The labels are a starting point, not a verdict. Driveline's 2025 fastball article quotes Michael Wacha, a self-described pronator who had trouble spinning the ball, using pitch design to access pitches usually associated with supinators, and a Driveline coordinator noting that many pitchers have been convinced they can only do one or the other. A supinator may do better with a split-change than a circle change; a pronator may get big fade from a simple circle grip.

Release and hand action cues

• Fastball arm speed, always. The grip slows the ball. The arm should not.
• "Roll over the ball" or "swipe the inside of the ball." Driveline's changeup guide uses these cues to create sidespin and arm-side run. For a right-hander, it reports spin direction usually between 1:30 and 3:00 or beyond on the clock face.
• "Throw it with your ring finger." Another Driveline cue that helps the hand work inside the ball.
• Late, not early. Reach extension first and let the hand work at release. Turning the hand over early tips the pitch and usually leaves it up.

The pronation at release is a natural part of the throwing motion. The cue is about where the fingers apply pressure on the ball, not about forcing a violent wrist turn.

Typical movement and velocity

From Baseball Savant's 2026 pitch movement leaderboard (qualified right-handed pitchers, weighted by pitches thrown), the average changeup moved like a slower, lower sinker:

Driveline's changeup guide suggests a target of roughly 8 to 12 mph slower than the fastball. MLB right-handers in 2026 clustered a little tighter, with a median gap of about 7 mph. The useful target is a gap big enough to disrupt timing without the pitch floating. The vertical gap is just as important as the speed gap: a changeup with about 12 inches less ride than the four-seamer finishes well under where the hitter's eyes expect a fastball.

Common changeup mistakes

• Slowing the body. The classic giveaway. Hitters read the arm, not the radar gun.
• Too firm. A changeup within 3 or 4 mph of the fastball, with fastball ride, is just a slower fastball.
• Too much spin. A changeup that spins like the fastball keeps too much lift and floats.
• Gripping too tightly. Tension kills the sidespin that creates fade.
• Practicing it only in bullpens. Throwing changeups in catch play builds feel without extra stress.

How to test and refine your changeup

Measure it next to your fastball. A pitch-tracking device such as Rapsodo or TrackMan shows velocity gap, spin, IVB, and horizontal break; slow-motion video from the side shows whether your arm speed and release look the same as your fastball's.

1. Pair 5 fastballs with 5 changeups at full arm speed and record both.
2. Change one variable: grip depth, finger placement, or ring-finger pressure.
3. Keep the version with the best combination of speed gap, ride removed, fade or depth, and strikes.
4. Reject versions that float, slow your arm, or move far from your fastball release point.

How the changeup fits with other pitches

The changeup plays best off a fastball it resembles. Off a riding four-seamer, it creates a big vertical gap. Off a sinker, it mirrors the run with less speed and more depth. It is often a pitcher's best weapon against opposite-handed hitters, and it pairs well with a glove-side slider for same-handed hitters. See the pitch grips hub for how every grip compares.

Count new-pitch reps as real throwing workload

Learning a grip is skill work, and skill work needs volume. The way to get that volume without a spike is to plan for it. Bullpen reps of a new pitch, dry-run catch-play reps at shorter distance, and flat-ground tests all count toward your daily throwing workload, so log them the same way you log a bullpen. Add the new pitch inside your existing bullpen count at first (swap some fastballs for it) instead of stacking extra throws on top, then let the total grow as your chronic workload grows. That keeps your acute:chronic workload ratio steady while the new skill builds. The changeup is a good pitch to rep in catch play because it is thrown at fastball arm speed with lower measured joint loads, but those catch-play throws still count.

Readiness matters too. A grip block is a good fit for a day when your arm feels fresh and your check-in is solid, and a poor fit for the day after a long outing. If you want to see the numbers, the pitching workload calculator shows how an added block changes your ratio, and our guide to workload and arm health explains the research behind building capacity. Pain is a stop sign, not a cue to adjust the grip: stop throwing and see a qualified clinician.

Frequently asked questions

Pitch grips in Pitch AI

Learn the changeup with video, then test it with data

Pitch AI includes a pitch grip video library you can filter by pitch type, handedness, arm slot, role, and pronator or supinator bias, plus pitch design recommendations that suggest a grip starting point, release cues, and short test blocks, and can use ball-flight data you import from TrackMan or Rapsodo. New-pitch work sits inside your throwing program and workload tracking, so a grip experiment never happens off the books.

Sources and further reading

• Baseball Savant (MLB Statcast), Pitch Movement Leaderboard, 2026 regular season, right-handed pitchers
• Tampellini M., How to Throw a Changeup, Driveline Baseball, 2020
• Langin C., Ultimate Guide to Baseball Pitch Grips, Driveline Baseball, 2022
• Sawchik T., How many fastballs should a pitcher have on the menu?, Driveline Baseball, 2025
• Dun S. et al., A biomechanical comparison of youth baseball pitches: is the curveball potentially harmful?, American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2008
• Fleisig G.S. et al., Kinetic comparison among the fastball, curveball, change-up, and slider in collegiate baseball pitchers, American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2006
• American Sports Medicine Institute, Position Statement for Adolescent Baseball Pitchers (updated 2013)

Related reading

• Pitch grips: a pitcher's guide to every major pitchCompare every grip and movement profile.
• Splitter or changeup: which offspeed pitch fits you?When a splitter is the better answer.
• How to throw a four-seam fastballThe fastball your changeup has to mirror.
• How to throw a two-seam fastball or sinkerAnother arm-side pitch that pairs with the changeup.