Orix Buffaloes Yuma Mune player Yuma So is using a technique called "cloning" to objectively observe himself, thereby reducing the fluctuations in his batting performance.
"It's about looking at myself objectively. It's like my (true) self is somewhere separate from my body, and I'm using that body to move," So began, speaking quietly.
So joined Orix Buffaloes in 2014 as the second overall pick in the draft from Yokohama Hayato High School. With his excellent reflexes to the ball and stable throw, he won the Golden Glove Award for three consecutive years, and his clutch hitting contributed to three consecutive league championships and the Japan Series title.
However, he has struggled with his hitting for the past two years, playing in fewer than 100 games. "I wanted results. But results are just that—results—and if I haven't been solid up to that point, the results won't come. I thought I should focus on that," said So, whose theme for this season was "no excuses."
"People live their lives making excuses for things. I think everyone has things they think can't be helped, but often those excuses are just ways of reducing the shock they feel about things they couldn't do. And they don't even realize it themselves. Maybe they do realize it, but they try to cover it up by coming up with reasons like, 'No, but this is what happened,'" he said before the season started.
And now, So continues to play with "two versions of himself." One version of himself plays, while another version of himself observes from a distance. "It's another version of myself that's moving, so whether I hit the ball and get a result or not is solely up to that (other) body. My real self is somewhere else, so I don't get discouraged. It's more like, 'What should I do next?'" By separating his thoughts from his body and observing from a distance, he can see a different world. "If I thought the other version of myself was my real self, I would get so absorbed in it that I wouldn't know who I was." By creating this alter ego, he has become able to view himself objectively.
His hitting in May was noticeably inconsistent. In the first half, he struggled with only 3 hit in 31 At Bat-bats for a batting average of .129, but in the second half, he had 16 At Bat 49 hit for a batting average of .327. Starting with the game against Lotte on May 15th (at Zozo Marine Stadium), he focused on hitting fastball. "When I'm not hitting well, I can't hit fastball, and I end up chasing all the other pitches, which often leads to me getting struck out. So I started by focusing on hitting fastball forward," said So. This method of overcoming slumps is possible because he has a calm, objective side that allows him to see himself from a different perspective.
He approaches the "desire" to hit the ball in a natural way. "It's natural to have that desire. There's no need to get discouraged when it arises. Whether I hit the ball or not, I'm always looking for what I can do next, so I don't really have time to get discouraged. Having said that, there are times when I do get discouraged, but I don't think that's the point."
"Of course, I want results, but if I get caught up in that, I won't get what I need. My body is the only thing I can move, so I focus only on that." He faces the opposing pitcher in a "two-legged race" with his alter ego.
Interview and text by Masaki Kitano
