A change-of-pace ball is a pitch that is thrown with a different speed or trajectory than what the batter is expecting. There are numerous synonyms for this type of pitch, such as a breaking ball, a curveball, a slider, a screwball, a knuckleball, and a changeup. Each of these pitches serves the same purpose- to disrupt the batter's timing and throw off their swing. A breaking ball is a pitch that sharply breaks downwards or sideways, while a curveball has a slower, looping trajectory. A slider moves laterally and has a harder, sharper break, while a screwball has reverse spin and moves in the opposite direction of a typical pitch. A knuckleball is an unpredictable, fluttering pitch, and a changeup is a slower version of a fastball.