A Thorough Sports Motion Analysis by a Leading Expert Analyzed Masanao Yoshida’s Moved — the Secret Behind His Uniquely Japanese Swing Is Now Known!

It is a very unusual swing that is uniquely Japanese. Japanese hitters usually move their hips, chest, and shoulders in order to efficiently transfer the power of their lower body to the bat. It is an effective swing against Japanese pitchers who raise their legs high and make a tame throw. However, it is not effective against a major league pitcher who throws suddenly and without taking his time. He has a compact and quick swing that is adapted to major league pitchers, with his hips and shoulders moving almost simultaneously.

says Takashi Kawamura, a leading expert in sports motion analysis and associate professor at the University of Tsukuba’s College of Physical Education.

Kawamura is surprised that Masanao Yoshida (29) of the Red Sox is the owner of an ultra-unusual swing. As of May 23 (Japan time), he is on a roll, with a .308 batting average (first on the team), six home runs (second), and 29 runs batted in (second). He has recorded 17 multi-hit games. Kawamura analyzed Yoshida’s form to find out the secret behind his great success in his first year in the majors.

Look at images 1 and 2. The stance of both legs is narrow and the takeback is small. He has a compact start. There are Japanese hitters who have a big action, such as raising their legs high, but they cannot adapt to the powerful fastballs of major league pitchers or balls that move in their hands.

In Image 3, the left elbow is folded and the bat comes out of the grip smoothly.

“In image 4, the left elbow is folded and the bat comes out of the grip smoothly. Normally, the shoulders would remain back and the chest would be in an upright posture, but Yoshida’s shoulders, chest, and arms are in an upright posture. But Yoshida’s shoulders, chest, and bat head are on the same line on the vertical axis. This is a common way of hitting in the majors, but rare among Japanese. He uses his rib cage well, moves his shoulders and hips at the same time, and swings the bat at once. He is able to make this kind of swing because of his strong upper body strength.”

In Image 5, Yoshida appears to be swimming, but his body axis is not shaky.

In Image 6, we can see Yoshida’s growth. When he was with the Orix, he used to hold the bat with both hands even in the follow-through. This caused his hips to turn too much and put too much strain on them. Yoshida, who has been removed from the roster due to back pain, releases his left hand on the follow-through, thereby reducing the burden on his back.

According to Kawamura, the basic swing has not changed since his days with the Orix.

When I was in Japan, I asked Yoshida, ‘How can you swing like a major league hitter? I once asked Yoshida how he could swing like a major league hitter. Yoshida told me, ‘I have been watching Japanese baseball since I was a child. Yoshida said, “I never watched Japanese baseball from an early age and only watched Major League games, so maybe it came naturally to me. With this momentum, I’m sure I can achieve the same level of results as I did when I was with the Orix.”

In Japan, Yoshida has won the title of leading hitter twice. There is a good chance that he can become a leading hitter in the majors as well.

From the June 9, 2023 issue of FRIDAY