Cole Newell | Pitching Coach
MLB/MiLB Pitching Advisor
92K+ Following along on Instagram
One of the game’s prettiest pitches.
A deGrom slider on the corner.
07/07/2026
Another day to deGrominate! 🔥
A little behind the scenes of talking shop before we filmed episode 2 with Chase Solesky - who’s had a roller coaster 2026!
There’s times the ball may not go your way but it’s how we respond and continue to push through the adversity! Your daily work, mental preparation, and detailed work all will come together and it’ll start bouncing your way.
The cliche saying, it’s not how you start, but how you finish.
07/06/2026
Our middle finger is the longest finger on our hand. It typically is the last finger to touch the ball at release.
If you have the middle finger away from the center of the ball and emphasize pressure on the inside of the finger, it’ll prevent you from creating backspin causing the ball the lift and be harder. At release, our ring finger is off the ball and just the inside of the middle finger will be left lightly spinning the ball off the inside of the finger changing the direction of spin to favor side spin. Creating a UFO like spin.
You’ll see often how the middle finger is in the center and lifts the ball. Not what we want with the CH.
Let your fingers slow down the ball!
Our grip avoids our dominant fingers like our index and middle fingers from being in command (like the fastball). When we trust the grip for our Changeup, we tend to see the fingers find a way to the inside of the ball rather than staying behind it and creating backspin and lift. That will create a high velo and flat Changeup.
I like to show guys initially in the grip to shift the middle finger to the inside of the center of the ball. Whether that’s on a lace or not, it’s whatever is comfortable to start.
The ring finger will help get that middle to the inside so we try to shift that finger closer to the center. It is much weaker and will slow the spin and force into the ball down.
The goal here is to tilt the spin axis!
Extremely blessed to have friends like Chase Solesky 🙌
I didn’t start Cole Newell to be front and center. I wanted to put out good info that could help just one person!
Blessed to help guys daily and try to find an edge in this crazy game of baseball!
07/01/2026
The splitter has had a bad reputation over the last few decades.
Now it’s one of the most effective pitches in the game and the data tells you exactly why.
📊 What data shows about elite splitters:
- Spin rate: 1,377 RPM for RHP & 1,282 RPM for LHP: lowest of almost any pitch
- Spin axis: 1:45 for RHP & 9:00 for LHP varies per pitcher
- Movement: 3” of IVB & 11.3” of HB
- Velocity gap: 6–10 mph off the fastball with identical arm speed (MLB average velo is 86.2)
That last point is the whole thing. It looks like a fastball. It comes out with the same intent. Then it vanishes, dropping hard right before the plate.
When you pair that with a high-spin four-seamer that rides through the zone, hitters can’t distinguish the two until they’ve already committed. That’s not luck. That’s physics.
And unlike a changeup, you don’t have to pronate. The grip kills spin on its own. Same arm speed. Same release. Different result.
Three styles worth knowing:
Power splitter: mid-to-high 80s, tight drop. Think Ohtani, Gausman. Punishes hitters sitting on heat.
Traditional split-finger: deeper grip, slower spin, heavier tumble. Sutter, Morris. The original weapon.
Hybrid split-change: changeup pronation + splitter depth. Adds arm-side fade for another layer of deception. Can even add the kick change into this group!
Larger hands tend to produce more consistent movement (deeper grip = more leverage), but finger pressure and seam placement can get you there too.
🔑 How to throw it:
1. Ball deep between index and middle fingers, just outside the seams
2. Throw with full fastball intent, arm speed is the deception
3. Stay relaxed. Let the grip and gravity do the work.
The splitter isn’t a trick. It’s a pitch built on feel, trust, and precision…not effort.
When you execute it right, it becomes your equalizer for late dive + missed barrels. Elite hitters guessing all night.
06/30/2026
Back on the deGrom Day track!
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06/30/2026
JULY 4TH & CHANGE IT UP GIVEAWAY! 🇺🇸
In honor of Chase Solesky joining the podcast as the first guest ever, we are giving away a SSK glove and the new Citrus Collection from Pitchers Only 😳
Rules To Enter:
➡️ Subscribe to the Change It Up YouTube channel
➡️ Follow SSK BASEBALL
➡️ Follow Pitchers Only
Extra Entry (unlimited)
➡️ Tag a friend in the comments
Winners will be announced on a video by Chase Solesky at the end of the brand new episode releasing on Thursday, July 2nd.
Good luck!
Official Notice: Winners will only be contacted via DM from our official account, Cole Newell we will never ask for payment or personal financial info to claim a prize. Beware of fake accounts impersonating us, and report any suspicious messages.