Baseball · Pitching

Fastball and change-up command

A bullpen session where pitchers hit the catcher's target with the fastball on both sides of the plate and throw a change-up with the same arm speed, inside a set pitch count.

PCCO
Start / 6
Time
20 min
Players
3–6
Age
U12+
Area
Bullpen or mound
Equipment
12 baseballs1 full catcher's gear1 home plate1 clipboard or pitch-count app

Setup

  1. Use a bullpen mound at your league's pitching distance (check your league's field dimensions; for example 46 ft for 12 and under, 60 ft 6 in for 13 and over).
  2. The catcher wears full gear: helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector, shin guards and cup.
  3. Plan the session before it starts: 25–35 pitches, well inside the pitcher's daily limit. Check the pitcher's pitch count and rest days against Pitch Smart or your national body's guidelines; this session counts towards them.
  4. The pitcher completes a full arm warm-up and long toss before throwing off the mound. A coach or teammate keeps the tally.

How it runs

  1. Warm-up pitches: 8–10 fastballs to the middle of the plate at building effort.
  2. Fastball command: the catcher sets the target on the outer edge, low. The pitcher throws 5 fastballs to it. Then the catcher moves inside for 5 more.
  3. Change-up: the catcher sets low in the middle. The pitcher throws 5 change-ups with the same arm speed and body action as the fastball.
  4. Mix it: the catcher calls a pitch and location before each throw (for example 'fastball away', 'change-up'). The tally keeper marks a hit or a miss.
  5. Finish on a good pitch. Stop the session straight away at the pitch limit, at any arm pain, or when the delivery falls apart from tiredness.

Coaching points

  • Eyes on the target from the start of the delivery to release.
  • Fastball: four-seam grip across the seams, fingers on top, released out front with backspin.
  • Change-up: a circle-change or three-finger grip, ball deeper in the hand. Same arm speed as the fastball; the grip slows it down, not the arm.
  • Command first, speed second. A fastball on the corner beats a hard one down the middle.
  • No breaking balls at this age. Fastball and change-up are enough to get hitters out and protect the arm.

Common mistakes

  • Slowing the arm on the change-up, which tips off the pitch and leaves it high.
  • Aiming the ball by shortening the arm action, which costs control and speed.
  • Throwing too many pitches because it's going well; the count still matters.
  • Pitching the day after a game, or catching hard on the same day as pitching.

Say it: “See the glove, same arm speed, finish.”

Make it harder

  • A batter in a helmet stands in (no swinging) to give the pitcher a real target.
  • Play a count game: start each 'hitter' at 0–0 and try to get to two strikes in three pitches.
  • Pitch from the stretch with a quick delivery.

Make it easier

  • Use one target only: the middle of the plate, at the knees.
  • Shorten the distance on flat ground before moving to the mound.
  • Fastballs only until the change-up grip feels comfortable.

Pairs well with

Reviewed by the Sportdify coaching team.