Former Swallow player Norichika Aoki teaches batting to junior high school students…Challenges of “modern baseball” that can also be seen in youth baseball
In an age where all kinds of batting-related data, from swing speed to batted ball angle and speed, can be visualized, there are many youth baseball players who admire pitcher Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) and want to pursue power. However, in such an era, there are “technological basics” that should be cherished. On November 16th, former Yakult player Norichika Aoki, who participated as a special coach in the Digital Baseball Class sponsored by Liveritz Co., Ltd., held in Tokyo, said that he was impressed by the way batters use their wrists these days. He points out that there are “problems”.
On this day, Mr. Aoki, who taught hitting to junior high school baseball students from a “placed tee,” explained the players’ issues in detailed and polite words. The young baseball players listened intently to the famous ball club batter’s words, such as placing the meet point as far forward as possible in order to hit a long hit, and being conscious of lowering the shoulder blades in order to make an inside-out swing.
Furthermore, there was a part where Mr. Aoki looked at the players and pointed out “problems with modern baseball.” That is how to use the “bottom hand” (the hand on the pitcher’s side) that is located below when gripping the pitcher. “There are so many kids these days who have a loose grip on things,” he says.
“When you take your stance, your front hand (hand) is not locked. You are holding it loosely and trying to catch the ball with your back hand (top hand, catcher’s hand). But most of the players are like that now.”
Why is the feeling for the pull handle fading? “In this age of power, everyone wants to fly.” He explains that because he is so conscious of trying to push the ball with his back hand, he is neglecting how to use his puller.
“The front hand is for contact, and the back hand is for power. In our days, we were often told (in coaching) how to use the front hand, so there were many types who could make contact. Nowadays, players who are not good at contact There is no doubt that the number is increasing.If you want to meet, I want you to learn how to use your front hand.”
“Double pull” at the moment of swing is “common even among professionals”
In fact, junior high school students who were told to “try swinging with their front hand locked (fixed)” were able to notice a change in the sound of the ball they hit. Another thing that Mr. Aoki cautioned about as a sign of wanting to hit the ball was the “double pull” of pulling the bat again at the moment of the swing. “This is also common among professionals. Since there is one more movement, the points are closer together and the body opens up.” As a workaround, he gave advice such as changing the timing of stepping with the front foot to “2-3” instead of “1-2-3”.
The distance to the ball, how to use the handle, the position of the shoulders, the way to step… Through Mr. Aoki’s guidance, the baseball players realized that just being aware of the details of how they use their bodies can immediately change the quality of their batting. The theme of the baseball class that day was the use of data in youth baseball, and he gave a maxim: “I want you to get into the habit of moving your body while looking at the numbers and thinking about how to apply them to yourself.”
Aoki himself is a junior high school softball player. He described the hard-ball players who gathered that day as “a much higher level than my junior high school days,” but he credits his own body for becoming a great hitter who racked up 2,723 hits between Japan and the United States until his retirement this season. These words made me feel that it was because of their understanding and constant efforts. There seems to be high expectations for him as a “famous instructor” in the future.
(Koji Takahashi)
I want to increase the speed of the ball, I want to hit the ball farther… “First-Pitch,” a sibling site of “Full-Count,” tells baseball boys and girls, coaches, and guardians about the coaching methods they want to know about, as well as the “current situation” in the field of baseball training. We will provide useful information every day as a gateway to learning the fun of baseball and as a clue to solving your questions.
