In the towel drill, a pitcher holds a small towel in his throwing hand, goes through his delivery, and snaps the towel into a target at his release spot. To set the target, have him stand in his landing position with his arm reaching out, and put it where the towel tip reaches. Do 10 to 15 smooth reps a few days a week. Too far a target teaches lunging, so check the spot every session.
The towel drill has been around forever, and for good reason. All he needs is a hand towel and a little floor space. No ball, no catcher, and almost no stress on the arm, so he can take a lot of quality reps on his delivery in the living room or the garage.
It also gets done wrong a lot. Set the target in the wrong spot and the drill quietly teaches him to lunge. Here is how to set up the towel drill for pitching, what it actually fixes, the mistakes to watch for, and how to use it without overdoing it.
What the towel drill is for
He holds a small towel in his throwing hand, goes through his delivery, and snaps the towel forward to hit a target at the spot where he would release the ball. The towel gives him something to feel at the end of the motion. A good rep makes a crisp snap at the target. A rushed or flying-open rep usually misses, slaps the side, or lands short.
It’s best for grooving direction (going straight at the target), staying closed a beat longer, extension out front, and finishing over a firm front leg. It’s not a strength drill or a velocity drill. Think of it as reps on the shape of the delivery.
How to set it up
Pick the towel
A small hand towel or a washcloth folded once. Grip one end like a ball, with an inch or two sticking out past his fingers and the rest hanging free.
Find the release spot
Have him get into his landing position: front foot down where it normally lands, arm reaching out toward the plate as if he just let go. Where the end of the towel reaches is where the target goes.
Set the target
A parent holding a glove at that spot works best. A chair back or a cone on a stool works too. The target should be about chest to head high, straight in line with home plate.
Take the rep
Back to the starting spot, then a full, smooth delivery. The goal is to snap the towel into the target while landing balanced over the front leg.
The target placement is the whole drill. If it’s too far, he has to lunge and over-stride to reach it. If it’s too close, he cuts his finish short. Re-check the spot every session, because it moves as he grows.
Three ways to run it
- From the landing position. Start with the front foot already down and just work on the arm and finish. Good for younger kids and for learning the target spot.
- From the stretch. Normal set position, leg lift, and throw. This is the version most pitchers use most often.
- Full windup. The whole delivery. Use it once the stretch version is clean.
| Mistake | The fix |
|---|---|
| Lunging to reach | Move the target closer |
| Muscling the arm | Let the body turn first |
| Flying open | Glove side stays closed longer |
| Falling off | Hold the finish for a count |
| Rushing the reps | One slow rep at a time |
| Going for 100 reps | 10 to 15 good ones |
Our guides on flying open, stride length, and the follow-through explain what each of those looks like in a real delivery.
“Ten good reps beat a hundred sloppy ones.”
The towel drill only teaches what he repeats. Smooth is fast.How many reps, and how often
Ten to fifteen focused reps, a few days a week, is plenty. Each rep should be on purpose, with one thing in mind, like staying closed or finishing over the front leg. When the reps start to get sloppy, stop. Because there’s no ball, it’s a great option on days he isn’t supposed to throw hard, but it still counts as work, so keep it light the day after a big outing.
Where it falls short
A towel weighs almost nothing, so the arm moves differently than it does with a ball, and some pitchers start to rush their arm to make the snap. Watch for that. The drill also can’t tell you whether his body is moving in the right order. A rep can look fine at full speed and still have the hips and shoulders opening together. That’s the kind of thing slow-motion video shows and the naked eye misses.
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The towel drill is a simple, low-stress way to groove a pitcher’s direction, extension, and finish at home. Set the target at his real release spot, take 10 to 15 smooth reps a few days a week, and watch for lunging and muscling. Pair it with the other drills in our guide to practicing pitching at home and our list of youth pitching drills. Little things now, big numbers later.
Common questions
What is the towel drill in pitching?
A drill where a pitcher holds a small towel in his throwing hand, goes through his delivery, and snaps the towel into a target at his release point. It grooves direction, extension, and finish with very little stress on the arm.
How far away should the target be for the towel drill?
At his release spot. Have him get into his landing position with his arm reaching toward the plate, and put the target where the end of the towel reaches. Too far makes him lunge, and too close cuts off his finish.
Does the towel drill actually work?
It helps when it’s set up right and done with focus. It’s good for grooving direction and finish, but it can’t fix everything. If he lunges or rushes his arm to reach the target, adjust the setup.
How many towel drill reps should a pitcher do?
About 10 to 15 focused reps a few days a week. Quality matters more than quantity. Stop when the reps start getting sloppy.
Can you do the towel drill every day?
Light, focused reps are fine on most days because there’s no ball, but it still counts as work. Keep it easy the day after a big outing, and stop if anything hurts.
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