Shohei Ohtani: “Zero-Gravity Swing” to Hit 60 Home Runs in August　Shohei Ohtani: “Zero Gravity Swing” to reach his dream of 60 homers!

Ohtani’s “hitting” has finally been perfected.

Once you get your stance right, your trajectory improves and your swing transmits more power.

Last April, when his first season with the Dodgers had just begun, Shohei Ohtani, 31, spoke to the press about his hitting. For him, the root of his batting is his “stance.

After hitting .265 in June and .204 in July, he hit .397 with five home runs in August (as of August 19, Japan time).

He said, “Compared to the good months of June and July, I found myself striking out more and more often when I hit balls out of the zone. From August 10 to 13, he hit home runs in an astonishing four consecutive games, bringing his home run total to 43, tied for the league lead. Since he hit 43 home runs 15 games earlier than last year, we can expect him to hit 60 home runs this season.

The reason for his recovery may be that he has been able to maintain his “weightless swing,” which is produced from a stance with no power. Professional baseball commentator Takahiro Tokitsu said, “Otani’s posture is very similar to that of a pitcher who has a weightless swing.

The most important characteristic of Ohtani’s posture is that he is relaxed from his neck to his shoulders and fingertips. To put it extremely simply, the ideal posture is one in which he simply supports the bat, as if he were in a weightless space.

When one enters the swing from this posture, it is possible to maintain even muscle tension until the moment of impact. In other words, the flow of power from the start can be uninterrupted and explode at the timing of impact.”

Symbolic of this is the No. 41 he hit against the Blue Jays on August 11. Ohtani, who was probably waiting for a straight ball, picked up a low cut ball that escaped outside with his right hand and threw it into the right field stands.

It looks like he hit it with just one arm, but I would say the result is due to his ability to carry the ball by successfully transferring the power of his lower body to his upper body, as if he were throwing a javelin. Also, Ohtani is extremely good at getting in between pitches. He is able to breathe with the pitcher in a relaxed stance, call the ball and bring his bat together in the shortest possible time.

This way of using his body has something in common with the ″demo power″ in the Japanese martial arts. It is unclear whether Ohtani has any knowledge of martial arts, but there is no doubt that he is using the movements that are etched in his Japanese DNA to great effect on the American stage.

Currently, Ohtani is in a fierce home run battle with the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber (32), but Schwarber’s record is 47, and he has had a lot of ups and downs. Schwarber has hit 47 home runs, his record for most home runs, and he has had his share of ups and downs.

Ohtani is on the verge of becoming the first player in Dodger history to hit 60 homers and the third consecutive home run king. His return to the Dodgers is expected to be another record-breaking season.

From the September 5, 2025 issue of FRIDAY