The Towel Drill ... Use It Or Lose It?

Here are a couple of responses from two Div. 1 pitching coaches, to start the conversation. What do you think about the towel drill? Should baseball pitchers use it as a tool to improve pitching mechanics ... or lose it and focus on other pitching drills or training methods?

Comment #1: Towel drills are old school. "Reaching out to a measured 5 heel to toe steps to target at waist height" is the worst thing to happen to baseball. Hate it! New thought of hitting target approximately the same area of release, neat drill but little carry over. If the individual is not throwing a baseball or incrediball etc. there will always be a tough time in the action. Work should be applied to the pitching process; we don't throw towels though my current fastball may resemble it.

Comment #2: Lose it..... I think the towel drill forces the pitcher to become too linear in the delivery.  I do think you can use it to help the pitcher with glove side/throwing side symmetry (ex.- a pitcher who has a longer arm swing, but very short glove side)In this case, by trying to reach out, the pitcher is forced to expand with glove side, promoting symmetry and timing.  Otherwise, the traditional towel drill has very little carryover to actual pitching.

Comments

[Dan Gazaway]

The towel drill should only be used if you know how to teach it and student truly know how to implement it correctly. The division 1 coaches are right talking about the old school towel drill. It doesn't work and pitchers tend to reach out. The player holding their glove up should raise their hand up eye level to avoid reaching. I like using a knee drill to help pitchers get a grasp on release point, particularly when they are learning another pitch.