Baseball Swing Analysis and More as US Sports Equipment Giant Opens New Tokyo Facility

Marucci Sports, a leading United States baseball equipment manufacturer, has just opened a new facility named Hitter's House Tokyo. Among other options, it uses scientific methods to analyze a batter's swing. This service offers personalized bat recommendations, optimizing the weight and length of the best choice for each batter. 

Mookie Betts, a teammate of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and a former American League Most Valuable Player (MVP), has made annual visits to a similar facility operated by the same manufacturer in the US.

During the facility's opening event in Tokyo's Minato Ward in mid-June, former professional Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) player Yoshio Itoi tested the new technology firsthand. Itoi is a veteran of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Orix Buffaloes, and Hanshin Tigers. He tried the new technology, using devices attached to his body. These devices analyzed his hitting motion, ball speed, and muscle movements. 

After switching to an optimized bat, Itoi observed a significant increase in his bat speed. In fact, his speed improved by about 5 mph (or 8 km per hour).

Reflecting on the experience, Itoi remarked, "A five-mile increase is quite remarkable. It really affirmed how important it is to know the numbers." 

Former MLB Players Explain the Benefits

Former NPB and Major League Baseball player Mac Suzuki was also present at the event. He noted that his awareness of the significance of data dramatically increased as a result of the test. It's "like the difference between Little League and the MLB," he explained.

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(Read the report in Japanese.)

Author: The Sankei Shimbun