Teaches pitchers to use proper arm speed and release mechanics by replacing the ball with a towel.
Equipment: One regular dish towel per pitcher (bring about 5 to practice)
1. Give a dish towel to each pitcher.
2. Have them stand in the stretch position — feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
3. Have them step and, while holding on to the towel, act like they are throwing a pitch and let the towel extend.
4. Watch the towel: if they are pushing the ball, the towel will just flop around. If they are really throwing, the towel will whip toward the ground.
5. Get on one knee a few feet in front of them, hold out your glove, and have them hit the glove with the towel.
6. Make sure they bend their back as they throw, their eyes are locked onto the plate, and they aren’t turning their head.
7. Run 3–4 pitchers at a time, with a coach or assistant across from each one.
8. Have each player do 3–4 throws with the towel and then rotate to a new coach — a new coach might see something new, and the players will also learn more if they take a few seconds between reps to think about what they did.
What to watch for:
This drill is great because you can see each pitcher up close as they hit the release point. You can really work on bending their back, keeping their head straight, and stepping on a line toward home. You can also work on arm speed — if their arm isn’t moving fast, the towel just won’t go anywhere. The kids love it.
You need lots of assistants at every practice — see previous blog posts on that.
If arm mechanics and release point are clicking for your pitchers, you’ll find even more drills like this one in the free Quick Start Guide — grab it and keep the momentum going.
