with Jeff Duncan,
Kent State University Head Coach;
2018, '17, '16 MAC Conference Champions; 2x MAC Tournament titles ('14, '18);
3x MAC Coach of the Year ('16, '17, '18);
188-95 overall head coaching record; has coached four All-Americans; former MLB outfielder for the New York Mets
The goal of most young hitters is to develop a fundamentally sound swing. A solid swing will help a hitter be consistent and consistently achieve the results they're looking for. In this video, Kent State University head coach Jeff Duncan shows you the five absolutes of a fundamentally sound swing, as well as the drills to build those absolutes.
Rhythm to Trigger
Great hitters have good timing, and one of the ways they keep their timing is by having good rhythm. Coach Duncan will show you four ways to trigger, including:
- Reach
- Toe tap
- Pick up and put down
- Heel
Regardless of which trigger the hitter uses, having a repeatable rhythm will help them in their quest for consistency.
Power Position, Connection, and Extension
A hitter's goal should be to get to a good power position. This is the position where all great hitters, regardless of how they start, begin to look the same. Duncan shows how to consistently get to a good power position.
Connecting the lower half and upper half of the body is a critical part of the swing. This connection allows the hitter to generate power without actively trying. Coach Duncan uses the Chase Utley drill to help the hitter feel this connection. In the drill, the hitter takes a normal swing, but doesn't fully finish and follow through, similar to how major leaguer Chase Utley takes his regular swing. This drill helps the hitter to have a better feel and balance in the swing.
The previous absolutes should allow the hitter to get to a strong contact position. After contact, Duncan shows how to get good extension. Batters want good extension because the equation for power is Balance + Extension = Damage.
Tee Drills and Approach
Duncan helps you translate these absolutes from practice to a game, starting with tee drills and building to more game-like drills. He shows how to speed the hitter up using a machine to help the hitter be on time for real pitching.
In this video, you'll get 14 drills from Coach Duncan to help build a fundamentally sound and repeatable swing. Learn tested and proven absolutes that hitters must master to unlock major league potential!
66 minutes. 2019.
LD-05483B:
with Jeff Duncan,
Kent State University Head Coach;
2018, '17, '16 MAC Conference Champions; 2x MAC Tournament titles ('14, '18);
3x MAC Coach of the Year ('16, '17, '18);
188-95 overall head coaching record; has coached four All-Americans; former MLB outfielder for the New York Mets
Jeff Duncan, the head baseball coach at Kent State University, lays out his entire offensive philosophy in this video. You'll see Duncan's keys for good offense that include:
- Mechanics - The foundation of the swing
- Approach - Using aggressive discipline at the plate
- Mentality - Being relentless and positive at all times
- Preparation - Doing as much as you can ahead of time in order to find success
- Execution - In-game strategy to manufacture more runs
Coach Duncan reiterates that trust between players and coaches is paramount for his system to work. He allows players a certain amount of freedom to be themselves, but also provides some structure in order to put athletes in position to succeed.
Hitting Approach & Drills
The first three points in Duncan's philosophy - mechanics, approach, and mentality - are the focus during individual drill work. He believes that being "on-time" for the fastball, possessing great plate discipline, and being able to recognize and hit pitches up in the zone are the biggest factors that go into a championship batting approach.
You'll get drills from Coach Duncan and Kent State assistant coach Derek Simmons that improve athletes' ability to hit fastballs, breaking balls, and recognition for which breaking balls to hit and which to let go.
Baserunning
To kick off the baserunning portion of this video, Coach Duncan shows one of his favorite games that features a runner in scoring position. The drill trains hitters to avoid over-swinging while trying to drive in the runner. Duncan explains the different scenarios that he'll use in the drill, including varying where baserunners are and how many outs the team up-to-bat has. Since players split into two teams for this game, both will get a chance to score runs and play in the field. Additionally, athletes get plenty of reps in the cage and on the base paths.
Batting Practice
Batting practice can get monotonous and boring if not done correctly. Duncan offers his version of BP, which includes fungos for fielders and pitchers, that get all players involved in the practice. This is also the time in which he trains his batters to bunt in both directions so they are prepared to do so during games.
To close the video, Duncan shows more drills that focus on baserunning without a live defense. Reacting to the ball off the crack of the bat becomes key, as players must make the decision to take off immediately or recognize when to retreat and tag up.
This video is a great option for any coach who wants ideas for team offensive practice and has players that need help in their approach at the plate. Allow Coach Duncan to teach you some of his tried and true techniques for hitting!
84 minutes. 2019.
LD-05483C:
with Jeff Duncan,
Kent State University Head Coach;
2018, '17, '16 MAC Conference Champions; 2x MAC Tournament titles ('14, '18);
3x MAC Coach of the Year ('16, '17, '18);
188-95 overall head coaching record; has coached four All-Americans; former MLB outfielder for the New York Mets
All baseball coaches know they need to spend time working on team defense, but do you know some of the best methods that will help your players improve rapidly and be most prepared on game day?
Kent State University head coach Jeff Duncan shares the practice format and drills that he uses within his program in order to make sure his team is ready to play sound defense. In this video, he includes his practice philosophy, how to teach fielding fundamentals, as well as some of his favorite drills that will get your entire roster involved.
Defensive Practice Philosophy
Coach Duncan details how he structures his pre-practice team meeting. During the team meeting, the coaches preview the day's practice plan and expectations. They also go over the team's daily practice factors and keys to an effective practice.
Each practice must be organized, efficient and fast-paced, with high energy. Duncan incorporates both team and individual drills into his practices so that players are game ready. All players are expected to bring the right attitude, energy, and effort to practices. These are the traits that carry over to game situations and lead to a winning culture.
Fielding Fundamentals
After completing the pre-practice team meeting, players go through a position specific warm-up period. The athletes put their techniques into action with various "live ball" drills. The drills are designed in the form of progressions so that athletes can work from a slow and focused pace, to a faster game-like pace.
The catchers begin with a throwing drill, and progress to tag plays and blocking drills. Infielders work through three drills (knee ground balls, one handed ground balls, shuffle drill) that emphasize proper fundamentals and fielding actions. During this time, outfielders get to work on drop steps, as well as ground balls. Coach Duncan stresses the importance of having his outfielders work on drop step drills on a daily basis. The drills are quick and efficient, and can be repeated to create good habits for sound defensive play at all levels.
Full Team Defense Fundamentals
During the team defense portion of practice, Duncan and his staff cover all aspects of defensive baseball on both a team and individual level. The team starts with position-specific fundamentals that include work on PFPs, catcher receiving drills, double play technique, and slow roller plays. The team demonstrates their defensive mass fungo, double play fungo, and situational fungo series. Duncan also takes the time to cover cutoffs and relays, pop-up communication, bunt defense, and run downs.
Coach Duncan covers all of the bases when it comes to defensive practice philosophy, fielding fundamentals, and full team defense. This video will provide any team with all the tools necessary to play winning defensive baseball!
99 minutes. 2019.