But for the second time in three seasons, Hendricks helped the Cubs start off on the right foot with a good performance against the Brewers at Wrigley Field in the season opener.. Not to mention both starts followed a strange set of circumstances: the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020 and an . The way I teach the modern changeup in this article, it will produce movement to the armside, with sinking action as well. The ivy league educated. He had been between about 195 and 205 pounds, generally, and feeling good. 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. Hendricks throws a sinker and changeup within 7-8 mph of one another. 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 problem is just that if two 13-year-olds are playing catch with their changeups, they dont get a lot of feedback on how well theyre doing. Two distinct clusters. Were excited to welcome Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks to this weeks podcast. Condition 4: To accomplish the above, the thumb must be on the bottom of the baseball. We all know that Hendricks has a first rate changeup, but it may surprise some to learn exactly how good it is. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. Faster changeups were more effective; slower were much more effective. very good and useful article I thank you. I would like to know how an 8-year-old childs arm can be strengthened, help me on that, thanks. 1 - Kyle Hendricks (Cubs) - 19.7% Whiff rate, 62 Adjusted Contact Score For my money, Hendricks throws the best changeup in the game. A changeup should be slower than a fastball by 10-12%, which means if you throw 70mph, a changeup should be 7-8 miles per hour slower (62-63mph). Besides advising Hendricks to sharpen an edge, Budner adjusted the grip on a changeup that eventually became his most effective pitch. And I was able to, so it was good to end on that note.. But I really wanted to find that fastball command and hone it in.. A left-handed pitcher's circle change will break down and away from a right-handed batter. To do this, the thumb must be on the bottom. NYY vs. DET: Gerrit Cole vs Michael Lorenzen. Last updated: July 27, 2020 Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks throwing a sinker (sinking fastball) and changeup. Thats an 8-mph differential between two pitches that follow the same trajectory. Aside from slowing the arm or hand down, or not finishing the pitch, theres no reliable way to reduce the speed of a changeup when force is applied through the center. The Mets had a prospect in their system with a solid repertoire but he was having trouble adding an off speed pitch. In this development stage, he wants to get ahead of hitters before mixing it in. Put your thumb on the bottom of the ball and your middle and ring fingers together. But what creates that downward movement on Hendricks changeup is, in part, his grip. Oct 11, 2017 Do you have a picture/video of Maddux's 2 seam grip? One of the tools used by the Cubs is known as an Edgertronic camera. As a right-handed pitcher myself, I threw more changeups to lefties, because I didnt want my curveball breaking down and in, into their happy zone. Less movement begins to resembled the mythical gyroball and apparently fools MLB hitters who pick up the spin. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. We get about 5% from the grip itself, and 5% from the hand action. 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. Vulcan change? A changeup needs to be thrown with as much intensity as possible. So, you see more MLB pitchers throwing changeups that are harder (8-12% slower than their fastball) but with lots of downward movement. strength and conditioning for baseball and softball. Upon release, the fingers are lifted off the ball, the ball rolls up the fingers. Online baseball performance training programs for youth and advanced players! The wrist and hand are pronated a little early which stops the wrist from popping forward. The slider doesnt really fit the Cut Change by either velocity or movement, but it is closer on velocity at least. There. 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. He consistently beats a higher FIP. Despite slight differences in grip, most other pitches are thrown in the same way across pitchers. 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. It was extremely helpful. The basement of speed change is about 8%. 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. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, Which version is best? Excellent explanations Dan. The dawn of the tech era has increased what we can take away from spring training. 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. The harder a changeup is thrown, the more it matches fastball arm speed, and initially fools the hitter into thinking that 90mph arm speed = 90mph output. His thought? 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. 08/01/2012. Turn the hand on the inside of the ball to apply spin. 10 best single-season performances in the last decade, Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger, Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side, Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters, Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot, Cubs: Its time to start thinking about potential September call-ups, MLB.com had a team of writers pen a piece on the games nastiest changeups. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. The #1 baseball brand in the world, Rawlings, has partnered with Cressey Sports Performance to make getting the best training gear for you more affordable. It gets confusing. The main criticism. The changeup is the most historically misunderstood baseball pitch. This is likely the only thing changeup throwers all agree on. The speed difference is significant, but the difference in their running action is nearly zero. port melbourne football club past players. The mailbag zeroes in on the infield jam with a particular solution being pitched. If the thumb cradles the ball from the bottom, the rest of the hand can be almost completely relaxed. With his pitch count climbing in the second inning, the Cubs took advantage of spring-training rules, pulling him with two outs and then putting him back in for the third inning. Lawmakers and others should not seek to undo laws meant to protect people from gun violence. You can check these in your browser security settings. Per Brooks Baseball, Hendricks gets a lot of swings-and-misses and a ton of popups when he puts the changeup in the lower part of the strike zone. 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). Id say Stephen Strasburgit has such crazy sink and armside run, Im not sure how anyone ever hits it. The grips here will help you create action, organically reducing stress forces on the elbow and shoulder. 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. One of the biggest frustrations for pitchers new to the changeup is that they bounce it too much. If youbelieve adding velocity could be critical to your success,check out my proven programsfor pitchers of all ages. Most pitchers cant throw an effective changeup, curveball or slider. I wrote an article on Elitebaseballperformance.com on the same topic, so check that out as well. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The ball is gripped deep in the hand, balanced and held loosely. On the follow through, collapse the body slightly. They throw very different speeds, so its best to think of a changeup as having a scaling, percentage-based speed reduction: 10% or so. And, unfortunately, it ended too early. 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. Category Baseball Content, Podcasts | Tags: Baseball Training, Chicago Cubs, Cressey Sports Performance, Elite Baseball Development, elite baseball development podcast, Kyle Hendricks, Pitching Coach, Pitching Mechanics, 2023 Cressey Training Systems, LLC Privacy Policy | Terms of use We DONT want pressure to be on the fingertips, but rather at the very bottom of the fingers. kyle hendricks changeup gripinchkeith house mental health team Consultation Request a Free Consultation Now. But, a -8% changeup must have tremendous movement to be effective. When thrown the above way, we will reliably achieve a 10% (plus or minus) speed reduction that can easily be repeated at any intensity. 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. Looking at the most effective changeups of 2016, a trend emerges. The changeup should also sink and run, which is movement to the pitchers armside of the plate. When the hitters brain must deal with both speed change and movement away from the initial trajectory of the pitch, the likelihood of weak contact increases. As a high school pitcher under Wright's direction, Hendricks added a changeup. Tuesday wasnt the day. Hendricks has a conventional change that gets unconventional whiffs, perhaps because he shows identical arm speed or has some deception in his delivery. Learn more. He doesnt have much faith in them. 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. Pull the string! It sounds like a cutter to me but thats not a pitch that is associated with sinking. But, then again, does it matter? Like fastballs, changeups can be thrown with either a four-seam or a two-seam grip. Though a straight change perhaps looks exactly like a straight fastball (thus making it very deceptive), pure deception isnt the end goal. So, we need a combination of the hand being as relaxed as possible while still being held securely. "My changeup was similar, but I wasn't establishing my fastball down in the zone." Lets take a look at good examples of both. Not to mention he has a baby on the way. The Fade Change is on the left, the Cut Change is on the right. 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. nhs covid pass netherlands; clash royale clan recruitment discord; mexican soccer quinella Today, well focus on the elusive third pitch. Dan Blewett is a former pro pitcher, baseball academy owner and author of, https://elitebaseballperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1-1.png, http://Elitebaseballperformance.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ebp-green-transparent-horizontal-logo-300x96.png, The Modern Changeup: The Best New Pitch In Baseball. When and if the 2020 season gets underway, the Cubs will be asking a lot of Hendricks who is irrefutably the go-to guy in the rotation. 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. But his changeup looks like the exact same pitch only it comes in even slower, at 78.6. So you could call him a two-pitch guy. The table below shows the qualified pitchers with the 10 highest pitch values for changeups, in terms of FanGraphs Pitch Values metric. 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. OK, so maybe it wasn't the complete game shutout we saw on Opening Day in 2020. A slider has defined spin, a mixture of bullet-spin, forward and side spin that creates a visible red dot. Lets sum up those two pitches by movement and results so we can get a better sense of them. The changup I teach has heavy sink and armside run. Kyle Hendricks and Greg Maddux also share the same nickname: "The Professor". In the meantime, subscribe to my Podcast, titled Dear Baseball Gods and find me on Instagram @coachdanblewett. And, how about some arm-side run? Kyle Hendricks is a solid and consistent pitcher. The guy is near unhittable and with good reason. Dont try to get too much backside drive and hip rotation into the pitch. Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks waves as he leaves the field following a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday, Sept . Right-hander Kyle Hendricks' changeup has been a staple of his big-league success. And, what grip will get him there? Instead, hes thrived on the tactics long employed by a former Cubs ace, Greg Maddux, in control and movement. MESA, Ariz. Cubs lefty Justin Steele came into camp 20 pounds heavier and with a new changeup in his arsenal. Pingback: "Going JUCO" - Is Playing NJCAA Baseball a Risky Move? Brad Keller and Joe Musgrove reportedly throw their fastballs with a one-seam grip. Hendricks two-seamer moves 12.7 inches from left to right. youtube.com/watch?time_con 0:09 1.3K views 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. 23 for '23: Who steps up for Cubs in wake of the Seiya Suzuki injury? A circle change and a straight change are two different pitches, right?? 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. Because he's both upped his usage and . Max Scherzers slider is the poster child. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Some may add a specialty or fourth pitch as they get more experienced. 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. You can do so HERE. In his first 13 major league starts, Hendricks went 7-2, 2.46 in 80 innings, with 72 hits allowed and a 47/15 . He limits baserunners (both via hit and walk) and home runs, leading to a solid ERA. Kyle Hendricks' changeup. He then provides tips and tricks for how to throw a changeup and make it an effective part of your pitch mix.Tickets for all 2022 regular season games are on sale now: https://www.cubs.com/tickets Follow us! 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. **According to Pitch F/X, Chris Sale and Zach Davies didnt throw any four-seam fastballs in 2016. But, this starts with education on what a changeup is and why it does what it does. It was interesting to find out that it was an entirely different pitch. If you like what you hear, wed be thrilled if youd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. Where he separates himself is with the Cut Change, which has a combination of movement and velocity that makes it hard to classify. High school and college pitchers should try to master just three pitches. Circle change? I have one collegiate pitcher who throws the pitch with a 15% reduction, no decrease in arm speed, and heavy, fork-ball like sink with no lateral movement whatsoever. Kyle Hendricks assigned to Daytona Cubs from Tennessee Smokies. Controlling the Running Game: Should Young Pitchers Slide Step? The changeup was traditionally just a pitch that was slowerit was straight and slower, that was it. The ball is held deeper by the middle and ring fingers, which are less powerful as a combination than the index and middle. The middle and ring finger MUST be close together. Tension and fingertip pressure will result in the pitcher hooking the pitch into the ground more often. And technology like Edgertronic cameras can help us appreciate his success more than ever. Cubs Spring Training Notebook: Swanson's winning mentality, Lester's mark on Steele, Cubs make some spring history. Steele retired all six Padres batters he faced, then headed to the bullpen to throw 25 more pitches. Hendricks sinker achieves about 26 inches of downward vertical movement on average, roughly five inches more than league average in 2020. Hes a little bit higher up on the horseshoe [of the baseball].. 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. Kids need to pay more attention to this stuff. Last season, his changeup was 88 mph on average, about 5 mph slower than his fastball. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that Pineda should switch grips. Hendricks predicts the slower changeup will throw off hitters timing even more. Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes won the NL Cy Young last year and was supposed to be the. 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. This takes velocity off the ball and creates movement. Thegrip, shown below, is really a hybrid between the circle change and other grips. As you can probably tell, I love the changeup and love teaching it. Its easy to dismiss the Cubs starter for Game Three, Kyle Hendricks. Mine would sink so much that from the dugout (side view) it was often mistaken for a slider or curveball by teammates (atta boy, nice curveball!). does st martin parish have school tomorrow. So, its less visually fun to throw for young players and gives less feedback as well. The best changeups feature the following: James Shields is one of the best examples. 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. Pineda's poor changeup shouldn't come as a surprise. 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! (Its no surprise that Zack Greinke has the lowest sinker spin in baseball this season. This was awesome insight thanks so much for sharing! Odds & lines subject to change. Despite ample legal trouble, Sizemore had steady film and television credits. But, how much slower? For a veteran pitcher who throws a curveball, sinker, sinking changeup, mixing in an occasional cutting changeup will definitely confuse a hitter. 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. 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. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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. Condition 2: The ball must be held stable with as little pressure as possible. This allows the ball to roll farther off the fingers as its released, increasing spin. I dont want my son to end up straining. Kyle Hendricks knows he's struggled the last two seasons. The odd thing about Hendricks is that his changeup actually spins more than his fastball, roughly 300 rpm more on average in 2020. I filtered out the changeups over 85 mph because they are most likely slow sinkers. I did it earlier today, when I called him a two-pitch pitcher. Mixing in a few two-seamers might improve the effectiveness of his changeup as it is. That equals 4.5mph off a 90mph much too hard to be effective. He rarely walks anyone, strikes out enough to get by, and will induce weak contact. His excellent strikeout numbers and walk numbers, combined with his below average ERA have perplexed many, with a few explanations floating out there. His slider wasnt the archetypal slider, but it still had deadly effect as shown by his season of 41 saves without a single blown opportunity. It takes a lot of skill to make it to the Majors, and a great offspeed repertoire is part of that. This article from Forbes details whiff rate for 2019 MLB pitchers, so check it out to learn about some of the best MLB changeups from last year. Kyle Hendricks is proving he's an above-average strikeout pitcher. Years from now, when we look back on this era of Chicago Cubs baseball, maybe then well realize just how reliable Kyle Hendricks has been. FanGraphs had Michael Pineda throwing a two-seam fastball 3.7% of the time, which is more than zero. So technically, it does break. Building off of last year, balls coming out nicely [and he] looks like hes healthy and going to give us some really good starts.. ), Hendricks sinker has a little bit different of a grip, Marquee Sports Network analyst Sean Marshall said. Kyle Hendricks assigned to Tennessee Smokies from Daytona Cubs.