In theory, it’s flawlessly perfect. As the launch angle of the ball increases, the distance increases.
But no one can try. Because the chances of success are not that great. Even the hitting mechanism you have can be shaken and you can see a big disappointment. ‘Raising the launch angle’ is a kind of gamble.
If you succeed, you can dramatically increase the number of home runs. 30 homers is enough to aim for. It is a ‘fatal temptation’.
The player who is trying to increase the number of home runs by increasing the launch angle is Han Dong-hee, who is called the successor of Lee Dae-ho and has been appointed as Lotte’s new fourth hitter.
Han Dong-hee is going to be a built-in 4th hitter for the upcoming season. Park Heung-sik, head coach of Lotte, said, “It was decided to lead the team by fixing it on number 4, whether it be porridge or rice.”
Like the 4th hitter, the goal was also raised. The given home run target is 30.
However, Han Dong-hee has not yet reached 30 home runs. 17 home runs is the most home runs in a season.
The diagnosis of the Lotte coaching staff is that there is a problem with the launch angle. The number of home runs cannot be increased because there are too many line drive batted balls.
Coach Park Heung-sik, who has experience raising Lee Seung-yeop and Park Byung-ho, said, “Han Dong-hee’s average launch angle is mostly between 10 and 20 degrees. It is an angle where it is difficult to hit many home runs at Sajik Stadium, where the outfield fence is wide and high. All too often, a well-hit ball hits the fence with a line drive. Because of slow legs, most of the cases were unable to reach second base with a liner-type batted ball. He needed to find a way to use good power.”
He continued, “Han Dong-hee’s batted ball was hit with too many hits. His launch angle was bound to be low. The launch angle should be between 30 and 40 degrees. To do that, he has to give the batted ball some spin. Rather than hit with a regular hit like now, you need to form a swing trajectory with the base of the ball and give it a lot of spin. Right now, the rotation rate of the batted ball is too low. He plans to change the striking mechanism to increase the number of revolutions.” 토토
Currently, Han Dong-hee’s batted ball average rotational speed is about 3,000 rpm. He aims to get it to at least 3500rpm.
It is a risky gamble to increase the rotation rate and increase the distance by pushing the swing into the base of the ball. If you succeed, you can hit the jackpot, but if you fail, even the advantages you had may disappear and you may kick a small gourd.
This is because the striking mechanism itself is different. He also has to change the point at which he hits the ball, which is easier said than done.
A commentator with a good knowledge of batting said, “It is never easy to ask a player who used to hit the ball to make a swing that digs into the base. The momentary judgment must be changed, and the playing habit itself may have to be changed. It is not for nothing that it is called gambling. Mastering such a mechanism requires a great deal of training and effort. I think it will be possible or not. There will be a lot of trial and error. There is no guarantee that Lotte will be able to afford to wait for the trial and error. If you can’t wait, you can’t rule out the possibility that it will eventually return to its place and end in failure. It’s perfect in theory, but no one knows if it can be used in practice. I wonder to what extent they are determined to master the new mechanism.”
Chief Park said, “Han Dong-hee started producing results from the last minute of finishing training.” But then there is a period of inactivity of two months. He may have to start over in spring camp.
Can Donghee Han minimize the period of trial and error and make the new mechanism his own? If that part is shaken, there is a high possibility that Lotte’s ‘dream of strengthening the batting line’ will go to waste.