Have you ever heard of the Babe Ruth towel drill? I know I never have, and I am not sure if I think it is actually good for hitters either. I recently read about the Babe Ruth towel drill on eFastball.com, and while the drill seems like it could be effective, the site say the drill is only meant for certain types of swings. The most interesting part about the drill is about how it exists today. The story goes, Ruth told his pinch runner, Sam Byrd, who was used more often than not latter on in Ruth’s career, and then Byrd taught the drill to legendary golfer Ben Hogan. If this many influential athletes have used the drill, there must be something to it.
The drill has all of the characteristics to make it a great drill. It’s simple, easy, and inexpensive. Take a towel and place in under the armpit that is closest to the pitcher while you are in your batting stance. Next, take some swings during batting practice and try and keep the towel underneath your armpit. The common critique against this drill is that it can promote bar-arm, and if that is the case for you, it might be best to lay off the drill. More than anything, the drill is supposed to extenuate the punching effect of the back hand of your stance, as the barrel of the bat meets the ball. I would evoke our readers to respond to this post and let me know the effects the drill has had on their young hitters swing.
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