Why are our pitchers seldom

[VNSooner]

utilizing off-speed/change-ups in their repertoire? I am thinking about Maxwell, Deal and Monticelli. Use of these pitches would keep batters off balance. While opponents have not scored a lot of runs (45) or homeruns, I believe our pitchers can be even more efficient.

[Bixby_Sooner]

The reason you don't see more change ups thrown (not just at OU) is that not every pitcher can throw a quality (or even near quality) change up. Most will telegraph the pitch in some way, others can throw it without telegraphing, but have no consistent accuracy. That's why the pitchers that can throw it are so effective. Likely if they don't already have command of it before they get to their freshman year, they won't gain it with out a lot of overtime work outside of the season and they have a lot going on outside of softball.

At this level, pitchers are coached on their strengths (the basis for offering a scholarship) and they work on perfecting mechanics, timing, weight distribution, and movement in order to work toward perfecting the pitches which they already command . Can they learn new pitches? Sure they can, but if you listen to the pitchers when asked about their coaching, they all say they have learned so much more about pitching from Coach Rocha, which apparently doesn't include change ups.

[TropicalSooner]

I don't know about whether Maxwell, Deal, or Monti, have change ups in the bag of tricks or not.
But I was under the impression that May and even Geurin both had a nasty change up in theirs. Perhaps I'm wrong about that.
Would like more info on our pitchers if anyone knows?
But what Bix said does make sense. If they haven't got it by the time they get here, it's probably not going to happen. Easily anyway.
Seems I recall reading that was Montana Fouts' weakness--if you want to call it that--was that she didn't have an effective off speed.

[1KCSoonerFan]

Great question and answer.

I can understand how a pitcher can have better overall results mastering what they already throw well - rather than spending limited resources to learn and perfect a new pitch they don't throw well. Makes sense to learn more refined throwing mechanics and a few nuances from a Master Coach, and get more polish on the apple in pocket - without having to squeeze it harder, hoping for lemon juice.

I imagine the same thing is true for batters. I've heard more than one player say that JT doesn't try to "change" swings that much. Instead, he leads the player to make the most out of their own natural mechanics, body type, and improve specific weak points with a training program in small, intentional steps. Improve the mindset, batting plan, and confidence level. It seems like for JT, stepping into the batter's box with confidence and hunting a pitch is more important than whether the bat is held low or high above the shoulder.

The Sooners get the best of the best talent out there. Pitchers, batters, and position players are many of the most fearsome and dominant in the game when they arrive. I can't help but think that this level of player may not need a whole lot of changes made to their game in the first place.

I'm really curious about how all the metrics get evaluated and then show up in real world games!? If Monticelli, for example, can average 1+ K's an inning with a low WHIP and a sub 1.0 ERA, I probably could care less if she can throw a change-up! Lol. Of course, being able to do so would make her nearly unhittable. I just don't know what it would "cost" to get her to add this pitch.

Do any of you follow some of the live shows/podcasts, etc. that cover OUSB? I have watched replays of some of these shows when they are interviewing a coach or player and fans can send in questions for the guest. Those are pretty sweet. From a marketing aspect, it is a way to educate fans about the game, and get that feeling of being "connected" to the team/program.

[oufanforever]

IMO Patty badly wanted to make Maxwell the closer because she has a good change up.

Keeney and Monticelli probably can throw one but it is not reliable. At the highest level, you are not going to be able to throw pitches by hitters on speed alone. You have to have a change in speed somewhere to prevent hitters from time your pitch up and just foul after foul waiting for a mistake.

May’s change up can be really really good, but sometimes she just leaves one fat belt high, which can get hit way out of the park.

I think Geurin can be used really effectively for a couple outs in a big moment. My biggest question is can her high velocity pitches get by hitters when they sit on her change up.

[OUBeliever56A]

I think the philosophy for the Sooners led by Coach Rocha is to change speeds on most of their pitches by only about 5 MPH rather than throw a big changeup of about 12 MPH on a single pitch.

I know May throws two different pitches at different speeds. Deal does that with a couple pitches as well. It is what Geurin does on about every pitch she throws.

Maxwell is trying to do this on her sweeping breaking ball as well. Monticelli seems to throw just one speed though. Kenney is the same way.

A big change can be very good if it is not tipped off by the delivery or something else alerts the batter that it is coming. But it is a hard pitch to master for many pitchers. I am sure they all try to throw some sort of change, but getting them game-ready is a different thing.

I do wish that Monticelli and Keeney could learn a change though.

[AustinTXSooner]

Somewhere, I heard somebody comment that Monticelli is working on a changeup. I'm pretty sure that I've seen her throw a couple. May's changeup is devastating. And she's careful not to use it too much.

You can't use a changeup too often, because if you do, the other team will sit on it and crush it. That's why we always hit well against the pitcher from Northwestern, Danielle Williams? She threw several changeups per at bat. I can remember Tiare and Alo sitting on them.

The two most important factors in pitching is speed and location. Both of them have to change throughout an at bat.