On the 9th, Softbank Hawks outfielder Kensuke Kondo held a joint voluntary training session in Amagi, Kagoshima. He warmed up with Pilates, then ran and did batting practice, and seemed to be enjoying himself. "I'm in good shape so far. I think everything's going well," he said. He is reassessing the "range of his swing" to improve his ability to deal with fastballs, and will be the driving force behind the team's batting as they aim for a third consecutive league championship.

Omori of Hiroshima, Nishikawa, Ishikawa, and Hiranuma of Orix Buffaloes, Watanabe of Oisix, Fujioka of Lotte, and Takeoka of Yakult also participated. This was the ninth time the event was held in Tokunoshima. "It's not about strength, but about the trajectory of the swing that can be handled with width. breaking ball The theme for this year's event is "to be able to respond to the swing trajectory with width, rather than strength.

During this training session, Kondo reflected on 2025. He said that data showed that in the 75 games he played, Kondo often tipped his fastballs to foul tip. Speaking with Softbank Hawks 's Takuto Kikuchi, R&D Group Skills Coach, who accompanied him to Tokunoshima, Kondo himself analyzed, "That was my weakness this year." During practice, he's been working on his batting by using a variety of tee shots, such as swinging to the rhythm of a metronome. "Rather than changing the trajectory, I'm practicing hitting in a way that allows me to hit the ball from both a back or front point. It's not just about hitting where it feels comfortable." Kondo intends to further improve his batting range, from fastballs to breaking ball.

A 25-year ally stands as a formidable opponent. Softbank Hawks Arihara, who won the most wins at Pacific League with 14 wins at Nippon-Ham, has moved to . Coach Kikuchi said, "The starters at Nippon-Ham were good to begin with, but the addition of Ariwara will make the lineup thicker. Coach Kikuchi also commented, "If you look at Nippon-Ham 's starters, they throw pitches in excess of 150 km/h in the complete game style. pitcher We have to be able to hit those pitches hard." In addition to Ariwara, Kitayama, Yamazaki, and other good Nippon-Ham starters are also on the lineup. In order to break up this strong pitcher lineup, Kondo will lead the team with an improved level.

The WBC is also coming up in March. In the 2023 tournament, he will mainly serve as the second hitter, contributing to Japan's first victory in three tournaments. "I had a great experience (at the last tournament), so I hope to stand on that stage again," he said, expressing his enthusiasm for being selected for this tournament. In 2025, he was plagued by injuries to his lower back and left heel, but "this year, I want to be in good enough physical condition to be the first to be named in the starting lineup without any worries," he said, expressing his desire to play the full game. He is steadily making preparations to ensure a smooth year ahead.