Lotte's Atsuki Tomosugi spoke about batting during his contract renewal on the 3rd.

During the fall practice held at Zozo Marine Stadium, Tomosugi said, "I normally lift the ball high, but I'm trying to lift it earlier so I can use it for a longer period of time," and he kept his left foot up for longer periods of time when hitting than he did during the season.

When asked why, he explained, "The best time is when I have good timing for a long time, so now I'm deliberately lifting my left foot early and intentionally making it longer."

I wonder if he continued in the same way at the Miyakonojo autumn camp.

"I continued to hit the ball with the same long strike, but I also made sure my center of gravity didn't move forward and my head didn't move."

Looking ahead to next season, he said, "Even on days when I'm in the starting starting line-up, it's frustrating to be sent in as a pinch hitter late in the game, so I'd like to reduce that as well," and added enthusiastically, "Playing in every game is my goal every year, so I'd like to achieve that next year."

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita