Three finger changeup
A three-finger changeup is a good off-speed pitch for younger baseball pitchers and for those who do not have big hands. To throw an effective three-finger changeup; center your ring, middle, and index fingers on top of the baseball (depicted in all three photos below.) Your thumb and pinky finger should be placed on the smooth leather directly underneath the baseball. Once you have the grip, hold the baseball deep in the palm of your hand to maximize friction and to "de-centralize" the force of the baseball when the pitch is released. This helps take speed off of the pitch while maintaining the same arm speed masking the pitch to the batter. Coming at the batter it looks like a fastball. Same mechanics. Same arm speed. Same everything.
Four finger changeup
The four-finger changeup sometimes called a palm ball is one of two or three variations of the changeup. It's an off-speed pitch. A palmball is is gripped by essentially choking the baseball deep in your hand and wrapping all of your fingers around the baseball. It's essentially a four-fingered change-up where the baseball is centered in your hand between your middle and ring fingers. The index and ring fingers are placed on either side of the baseball for balance, and the thumb is placed directly below the baseball. At its release point, you want to turn the ball over a little to get more movement. The deeper the grip, the more friction that is created on the ball, which takes off velocity. That is how you slow the ball down without changing your arm speed or windup making it harder to detect.
Circle changeup
To throw a circle changeup make you are quite literally making a circle or an "OK" (see below left photo) gesture with your throwing hand using your thumb and index fingers. You then center the baseball between your three other fingers. The baseball should be tucked comfortably against the circle. Throw this pitch with the same arm speed and body mechanics as a fastball, only slightly turn the ball over by throwing the circle to the target.
