Mike Coutts is a former University of Maine baseball star and assistant coach who owns and runs the Frozen Ropes indoor training facility for baseball/softball in Portland.

He and wife Lynn work with players year-round as they seek to improve their skills.

Mike has provided a list of helpful hints for coaches and players….

“When you talk about hitting, keep it simple. Make sure your hitters’ heads are turned and both eyes are looking at the pitcher, just like they’re watching TV,” said Coutts. “A lot of the mechanical problems kids have are caused by visual misinformation. They don’t see the ball when it’s released and they can’t track it properly.”

Once that is accomplished, Coutts said hitters need to develop a “workable stance.”

“They need to be balanced. They should have their feet spread out, a little wider than their shoulders. They should also have a little body lean from their waists to their shoulders. Leaning forward will help their balance,” said Coutts, who added that the knees should be bent slightly.

The hands should be near the back shoulder and over the back knee and the knob (bottom) of the bat should be facing the other batter’s box, he said. The hands should be a little away from the body and the back elbow should be up, “but not above the hands.”

The hitter should make sure he can cover the entire plate with the bat, and he said that while they are standing there waiting for the pitch to be thrown, they should emulate “playing the piano” with their fingers on the bat.

“That keeps the hands relaxed, and then as they go to swing the bat, they grip it tighter,” explained Coutts.

That also promotes better bat speed.

Another tip for better bat speed and wrist action involves lining up the top knuckles of the hands, the knuckles nearest the fingernails. It feels awkward at first and the bat feels loose, but it can enable a hitter to really get the bat through the strike zone more quickly.

Another tip: if you’re facing somebody with a dominant fastball, give yourself another split-second to see it by standing as deep as you can in the batter’s box. Place your back foot as far back as you can.

Coutts said if a hitter has the proper vision, stance, and stride, the foundation for a good swing is in place.

Fielding a ground ball involves, first, the proper positioning of the body.

The rear end should be down and the backs of the thighs should be “perpendicular to the ground,” said Coutts.

“The fielder should reach for the ball [and bring it into their bodies]. They’ll see it better. If they wait to field it at their feet, their rear end will go up and they won’t see it as well,” he said.

Fielders need to keep their gloves down and the fingers of the glove facing upward.

Staying down on the ball also enables the fielder to knock it down if it takes a bad hop.

Coutts is a proponent of fielders and catchers moving their feet to get in front of the ball rather than stabbing at it with their gloves.

He said envision wearing a jacket and trying to position yourself so the ball will hit the jacket’s zipper.

Players should always throw overhand, making sure they get their thumb underneath the ball. That ensures a balanced grip. And they should snap their wrist when they throw.

Outfielders should catch a ball with both hands and get their feet positioned properly so they can minimize the number of steps before they throw.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-8-00-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.