"You asked me to take a lot of training."
Kang Dong-woo, 50, the Hanwha Eagles' batting coach, has been contributing considerably to improving batting indicators for batters since April this year. He is the hidden helper who silently supported Hanwha's rebound behind the scenes.
Coach Kang led the main players, including Chae Eun-sung and Noh Si-hwan, who were in a slump in the first half due to their undulating hits, to recover their condition, and recently worked in various ways to help new faces such as Jang Jin-hyuk and Kim Tae-yeon maintain steady performance.
Coach Kang has been sweating more on the ground since Kim Kyung-moon took the helm. This is because he has increased the overall amount of training of players and took more time to compensate for individual problems.
He said on the phone with Sports Dong-A, "After Kim came, he said, 'Let's take more training.' I think the change was very big that our batting line became strong."
"Based on home games on weekdays, our batters start batting training from 2 p.m. Most of the basic and defensive training starts before 2 p.m. We are also guiding individual players to follow their own routines," Kang said.
Coach Kang, who emphasized the "amount" of training, also did not miss the "quality" aspect. He is one of the leaders who actively utilize the data of the team's data analysis team. He helps the players train by watching not only simple indicators but also videos in person.
"Thank you very much to our team's data analysis team. When I focus on the game, I sometimes miss something for sure," Kang said. Whenever I do, I receive data from the data analysis team and share them with the players for training. Regarding batting form, I often compare videos of good players with videos of bad players. It is very helpful not only for the players but also for me," he said.
He cited his unique "level swing" as a key to his recent growth by maintaining good form. "Jang Jin-hyuk is a batter with good level swing, who tries to hit the ball well. He used to be able to hit the ball well in the swing trajectory, but now that he has increased the amount of training and playing time, he has started to maximize his strengths. If he improves his swing speed, he will be able to increase his slugging capability."
Coach Kang expressed his gratitude to the players for having endured severe training despite the recent heat wave. "Even in the midst of the heat wave, I did not have any complaints about the increased amount of training. Rather, the coach even adjusted the amount of training when it was too hot. I was so thankful as a coach for all of them adapting well."
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