Towel drills are widely used as a “low-stress” tool in throwing programs — especially during rehab or mechanical refinement. But new research suggests they may not be as harmless as we think.

In this episode of Applied Baseball Science, Dr. Nicholas Serio of VeloU breaks down a 2024 study that measured elbow valgus torque during towel drills and compared it to full-effort throws.

What researchers found may surprise you:

• Towel drills using a face towel generated ~80% of the elbow stress seen in live throws
  
  
  
• Arm speed directly predicted torque during drills — but not during actual pitching
  
  
  
• Self-selected effort levels may disguise high joint loads, especially when athletes “over-accelerate” without a ball
  
  
  

If you’re using towel drills in a return-to-throwing plan, ramp-up progression, or rehab protocol, this video is a must-watch. Understanding what these drills actually do — biomechanically — could change how you approach recovery and arm care.

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