Is the Circle Change Dangerous for Youth Pitchers?

We’ve all been warned about having our kids throw curveballs, but what about the circle changeup?

The circle change and curveball are both devastating pitches at all levels of baseball. If thrown correctly, they offer a distinct change of speed off the fastball as well as providing significant downward movement. Both pitches also require the player to twist his forearm before releasing the ball.

Unlike the curveball, the circle changeup has not been studied in terms of safety issues for young pitchers. So is it safe to throw?

We asked that question to Dr. Paul Marr, the head doctor for the Phillies Double-A team in Reading, Pennsylvania.

The Difference Between a Curveball and a Circle Change

The pitches are both similar and opposite.

When throwing a curveball, the pitcher:

• Places his middle finger slightly inside the right seam of the ball
• Puts his index finger placed directly beside his middle finger
• Rests his thumb on the back seam of the ball (the formation of the fingers on the ball should form a backward C).
• Throws the ball by rotating his thumb upward and snapping his middle finger downward

It looks like this:

When throwing a circle changeup, the pitcher:

• Use his index finger and thumb to form a circle or “OK” sign on the ball between the top and bottom seams
• Spreads his other three fingers around the ball
• Throws the pitch by twisting (also called pronating) his forearm inward (as if giving a “thumbs down” gesture) with the same arm speed as a fastball

Here’s a slow motion video of the circle change.

So with a curveball the forearm is twisting toward the pinkie, and with the circle change the forearm is twisting down toward the thumb.

Since the twisting movement has been associated with pitching injuries with the curveball, does that mean we should also be weary of the twisting movement with the circle change?

Will the Circle Change Harm Your Kid’s Arm?

Dr. Paul Marr, a sports medicine physician who has been affiliated with the Phillies organization for 19 years, had much to say about the circle change, including the following:

• He was not aware of any biomechanical study that found the circle change to be dangerous for young pitchers
• From a biological sense, a circle change, if thrown correctly, should be easier on the elbow than a fastball
• If your kid has tiny hands, don’t have him throw the circle change, because he won’t throw it correctly

Dr. Marr believes the real threat to a kid’s arms is overuse and not the types of pitches he’s throwing. He added that the overuse issue was not confined to pitchers, noting that he had just seen an outfielder for a serious arm injury.

He said that parents should think twice about having their kids play on multiple teams where they’re required to make many hard throws at different practices and games.

For more on the overuse issue, read Why I Don’t Let My Son Pitch in Little League.

At What Age Should Kids Start Throwing Circle Changes and Curveballs

Dr. Marr said as a rule of thumb a kid should be okay throwing a circle change at about 10 and a curve at 12. He added, though, that tying age to when a kid can throw a certain pitch was somewhat arbitrary, because it’s more about what stage of development your kid has reached.

So the real factors to consider are the following:

• How big a kid is generally
• How big are his hands

“If your kid has scruff on his upper lip,” Dr. Marr said, “he should be okay throwing a curveball.”

HAVE ANY STORIES ABOUT THE CIRCLE CHANGE? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS.

For information on Little League elbow, see What You Need to Know About Little League Elbow.

For more on pitching, read Pitching and Brain Injuries: What You Need to Know and Are You Too Small to be a Great Baseball Pitcher?

For a post on increasing your kid’s pitching velocity safely, check out 4 Ways To Increase Your Kid’s Pitching Velocity.