Pitching · Pitch Grips · Technique Guide
How To Throw A Changeup:
How To Throw A Changeup:
A Complete Guide
Three grips, the pronation cue Pedro Martinez used, the velocity math, and why the changeup should be the first off-speed pitch every pitcher learns.
Why the changeup is the most important pitch to learn
Same arm speed as a fastball — but 10–15 mph slower.
The changeup is the safest off-speed pitch for any pitcher to develop — especially youth pitchers. It puts no additional stress on the arm beyond what a fastball creates. The velocity reduction comes entirely from grip and light pronation at release — not from slowing down the arm. That is what makes it so effective: the batter sees fastball arm speed and gets a pitch that arrives 10–15 mph slower, completely destroying their timing.
10–15
MPH slower than the fastball — velocity gap created by grip alone, not arm speed
~10%
Ideal velocity gap — a 70 mph fastball pairs with a 62–63 mph changeup
1st
Off-speed pitch youth pitchers should learn — before curveball and slider
The changeup is the right pitch to learn first
Every debate about youth pitching and arm injuries centers on curveballs and sliders — breaking pitches that put additional stress on developing elbows. The changeup is different. It is thrown with the same mechanics as a fastball and places no additional torque on the UCL or growth plates. Every pitcher — at every age — should have a changeup. It is the one pitch where there is no age debate. Learn it early, learn it right, use it confidently. → See our pitch count guide for youth pitchers
The three changeup grips
There is no single correct changeup grip. What matters is finding one that feels natural, allows you to maintain fastball arm speed, and produces the velocity reduction through grip pressure rather than arm deceleration. Start with the three-finger grip if you are younger or have smaller hands. Progress to the circle change as your hand develops.
1
⭐ Start here — especially youth pitchers
Three-finger changeup
Best for smaller hands and younger pitchers
Place your middle, ring, and index fingers on top of the baseball. Your thumb and pinky sit directly underneath the ball on the smooth leather — and critically, your thumb and pinky should be touching each other. This is the grip tell that it is correct. The ball sits back slightly in your hand compared to a fastball.
This grip works well with smaller hands because three fingers on top create the velocity reduction without requiring the stretch of the circle change. It is the easiest grip to command early in development and should be the starting point for any pitcher learning the changeup for the first time.
2
Most effective — the Pedro Martinez grip
Circle changeup
Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana, Cole Hamels
Make an OK sign — or a circle — with your index finger and thumb on the side of the ball. The circle sits on the side of the baseball. Your middle and ring fingers rest on top of the ball, with the ring finger on the seam. The ball is held against the circle and the top two fingers.
Pedro's thumb and forefinger joined together to form the circle, and he used the other fingers to guide the ball. When you release, slightly turn the ball over — throwing the circle toward the target. This is the pronation cue for the circle change. The Cy Young Award winning version of this pitch is one of the most deceptive in baseball history.
3
Simplest to learn
Two-seam changeup
Good starting point — looks most like a fastball
Held like a two-seam fastball with your middle and ring fingers pressed on the seams, index and pinky off to the sides not touching any seams. The key difference from the fastball is the ball sits deeper in the palm. That depth reduces velocity without any grip rearrangement — it is the most natural feeling of the three grips for pitchers who learned the two-seam first.
The tradeoff is that it can look more like a fastball to the batter — which is deceptive — but it also has less downward movement than the circle change. A good starting grip for pitchers who struggle to command the three-finger version.
Pedro Martinez — the greatest changeup in history
Before we get into mechanics, watch this. Pedro Martinez throwing 95–98 mph and then throwing a changeup that just stops. Dennis Eckersley called it the most dominant period of pitching by one pitcher he had ever seen.
"The guy's throwing 95–98 mph with a changeup that just stops. He's going to make any player look like a fool. This was the most dominant period of time by one pitcher that I've ever seen."
Dennis Eckersley on Pedro Martinez
How to throw a changeup — step by step
1
Set the grip inside your glove — find your grip while hidden, before coming to the set position. A changeup grip can be spotted if the pitcher fumbles or spins the ball visibly before delivering. Practice the grip transition until it is fast enough to hide.
2
Match your fastball arm speed exactly — this is the entire pitch. The changeup works because the batter reads fastball arm speed and gets something 10–15 mph slower. The moment you decelerate your arm, the deception is gone before the ball leaves your hand. Throw it hard.
3
Keep fingers on top of the ball at release — unlike a breaking ball, do not let your hand flip to the side. The release should feel like a fastball — arm action, release point, and arm angle all identical. The grip creates the velocity difference, not the mechanics.
4
Pronate slightly at release — this is the key cue most pitching guides skip. Slightly turn the ball inward at release so your thumb faces downward. This is called pronation and it adds downward fade to the pitch while also reducing velocity. For the circle change, "throw the circle at the target." For the three-finger, let the palm naturally turn through.
5
Throw it low in the zone — aim for the lower third of the strike zone or below. A changeup up in the zone is a slow pitch at hitting height — exactly what you do not want. The natural downward movement from pronation helps, but location below the belt is the goal.
6
Complete your follow-through — a full follow-through is essential. Cutting the follow-through short creates a floating pitch with less downward action and gives the batter extra time to adjust. Throw through the pitch completely.
The velocity math — how slow should your changeup be?
A changeup should be roughly 10% slower than your fastball — enough to destroy timing but not so slow it becomes a batting practice pitch. Here is the practical benchmark by fastball velocity:
| Fastball velocity | Target changeup range | Velocity gap |
|---|---|---|
| 60 mph | 54–56 mph | 4–6 mph |
| 65 mph | 58–60 mph | 5–7 mph |
| 70 mph | 62–64 mph | 6–8 mph |
| 75 mph | 66–68 mph | 7–9 mph |
| 80 mph | 70–73 mph | 7–10 mph |
| 85 mph | 75–77 mph | 8–10 mph |
| 90 mph+ | 79–83 mph | 8–12 mph |
Some pitchers use a larger gap
Elite pitchers sometimes intentionally widen the gap between their fastball and changeup beyond 12 mph for additional unpredictability. Pedro Martinez throwing 96 with a changeup at 78–80 is a 16–18 mph gap. The key is that the arm speed still sells the fastball. A huge velocity gap only works if the delivery is truly identical — otherwise the batter reads it early and waits.
When to throw the changeup — situational usage
Batter expecting a fastball
The changeup is most effective when the batter is sitting fastball. After establishing your fastball early, a changeup at the same arm speed becomes devastating because the batter is already committed to a faster pitch in their timing.
Behind in the count — 2-1 or 3-1
This is the underused but powerful move. When the count is in the batter's favor they are almost always sitting fastball. A changeup at 2-1 or 3-1 is completely unexpected — the batter is aggressively geared up for velocity and the velocity gap destroys their timing entirely.
Two-strike put-away
With two strikes the batter is protecting the plate. A changeup low and away that starts looking like a strike before dropping out of the zone draws a defensive swing at a pitch they cannot drive. One of the most effective strikeout situations for a well-commanded changeup.
Against aggressive swingers
Batters who hack at everything — especially those who attack early in the count — are particularly vulnerable to the changeup. Their aggression combined with the velocity gap produces early, weak swings. Use it early in the count against these hitters to set up the rest of the at-bat.
Common mistakes — and how to fix them
Slowing down arm speed
The most common mistake and the one that kills the pitch entirely. If you slow your arm to reduce velocity, the batter reads the deceleration before the ball even leaves your hand. The velocity reduction must come from the grip — specifically from the fingers not driving the ball as efficiently as a fastball grip. Keep the arm at full speed.
Incorrect finger positioning
Fingers off-center or not making consistent contact with the ball at release produce an uncontrolled pitch. For the three-finger grip the thumb and pinky must be touching underneath. For the circle change the circle must be formed before the delivery begins, not during. Command comes from consistency — grip the same way every single time.
Not following through completely
Cutting the arm short after release kills downward movement and leaves the pitch floating. A soft, incomplete follow-through is often a tell that the pitcher is babying the pitch. Throw through it completely — same finish as a fastball.
Throwing it too high in the zone
A changeup at the belt or above is a slow pitch at hitting height. The pitch must work down in the zone — lower third or below. Most of the changeup's effectiveness comes from the downward fade and the batter's swing being above the ball. Aim low every time.
Bouncing it in the dirt during early practice
This is normal — not a reason to abandon the pitch or tighten the grip. Bouncing changeups in the dirt usually comes from the ball sitting too deep in the palm or releasing with too much pronation too early. Loosen the grip slightly, make sure the ball is still in the fingers rather than pressing against the palm, and build the feel gradually through catch before moving to bullpen sessions.
The five greatest changeup pitchers in MLB history
Learning the changeup means studying the masters. These are the pitchers who built careers — and Hall of Fame cases — on the ability to make a hitter look foolish with a single pitch.
Pedro Martinez
The gold standard. Pedro threw 95–98 mph and paired it with a circle changeup that sat 78–80 mph and moved like it fell off a table. His arm speed was identical on both pitches. The velocity gap combined with the downward fade made it the most effective pitch in baseball during his peak years.
Johan Santana
Santana's circle change was the primary weapon of a two-time Cy Young career. He threw it in any count, to either side of the plate, and at varying speeds. The ability to throw it confidently behind in the count — not just as a put-away pitch — made him nearly impossible to time.
Tom Glavine
Glavine's changeup was the foundation of a Hall of Fame career built on movement and deception rather than velocity. His ability to locate it down and away to left-handed hitters was the signature of his pitching identity.
Roy Halladay
Halladay's changeup was part of a four-pitch mix that made him the most dominant pitcher of his era. He used it to disrupt hitter timing built on his sinking fastball — the velocity gap and movement made the two pitches play off each other perfectly.
Tim Lincecum
Lincecum's changeup complemented his explosive fastball and sharp curveball. The arm speed consistency across all three pitches made it nearly impossible for hitters to differentiate until the ball was already breaking out of the zone.
Frequently asked questions
How do you throw a changeup in baseball?
Grip the ball with three fingers on top (three-finger grip) or with an OK sign circle on the side (circle change). Throw it with the same arm speed as your fastball — the velocity reduction comes from the grip, not the arm. At release, slightly pronate your wrist so your thumb faces downward and aim low in the zone. The batter sees fastball arm speed but gets a pitch 10–15 mph slower, destroying their timing.
How slow should a changeup be compared to a fastball?
A changeup should be approximately 10% slower than the fastball — a 70 mph fastball pairs with a 62–64 mph changeup, an 85 mph fastball pairs with a 75–77 mph changeup. The gap should be large enough to destroy timing but the arm speed must remain identical to maintain deception. Some elite pitchers use a larger gap of 15–18 mph when their delivery can fully sell the fastball look.
Is the changeup safe for youth pitchers?
Yes — the changeup is the safest off-speed pitch for youth pitchers to develop. Unlike curveballs and sliders which place additional stress on developing elbows, the changeup is thrown with the same mechanics as a fastball. It puts no additional torque on the UCL or growth plates. Every pitcher at every age can and should learn the changeup. It is the one pitch where there is no age debate.
What is a circle changeup?
A circle changeup is a grip where the index finger and thumb form a circle — like an OK sign — on the side of the baseball. The middle and ring fingers rest on top of the ball. At release the pitcher throws the circle toward the target, slightly turning the ball over (pronating). Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana, and Cole Hamels are among the most famous circle changeup users. It is considered the most effective changeup variation when fully developed.
What is pronation and why does it matter for the changeup?
Pronation is the inward rotation of the forearm at release — your thumb turns downward as the ball leaves your hand. For the changeup, slight pronation adds downward fade to the pitch and helps kill velocity without requiring a slower arm. It is the opposite of the supination used in sliders and curveballs, which is one reason the changeup is safer on the arm — the release mechanics reinforce natural arm motion rather than fighting it.
What are common signs that a changeup is being misused?
Arm fatigue from the changeup (beyond normal pitching tiredness), decreased pitch accuracy, consistently throwing it too high in the zone, bouncing it in the dirt repeatedly, and reduced ball movement all suggest mechanical issues. The most common cause is either slowing arm speed to reduce velocity or releasing the ball too early. If the pitch is not moving and is consistently getting hit hard, it is usually a grip or release issue rather than a velocity issue.
The changeup is the pitch that makes everything else work
A fastball alone is predictable. A fastball with a changeup becomes a completely different equation for the batter. The same arm speed, a 10–15 mph velocity gap, and downward fade from pronation — that combination keeps hitters off balance for an entire career. Pedro Martinez built one of the greatest pitching legacies in history on the back of a circle change.
Start with the three-finger grip. Build the feel through catch, not the bullpen. Learn to command it down in the zone before you work on movement. And throw it in any count — especially the ones where the batter least expects it.