When it comes to pitching, one of the most well liked questions that's often asked is how to throw a slider correctly.

There are two fundamental components to each pitch, and like with every pitch, when learning how to throw a slider, you must first understand the right grip, and then understand the proper release.

Most widely, a slider is gripped with the index finger and middle finger touching and the middle finger pressed against the seams of the baseball at one of the 2, enormous cupped ends. Your ring finger and pinky should be off to the side and not making any contact with the baseball. Although your index finger is making contact with the baseball, there should be noticeably more pressure placed on the ball by your middle finger and your thumb.

The slider is considered a velocity pitch, and is thrown using your fast ball arm speed. For purposes of demonstrating the correct release point, I might point to 2 different positions. The 1st is a palm down hand position, which is the conventional release point for a fastball. The second's often referred to as a karate chop position, and is the traditional release point for a curveball.

When teaching someone how to throw a slider, I really like to describe the proper release point as being the midpoint of the palm down fastball release point and the full karate chop release point of a standard curveball. With the natural outside-in action this arm angle produces, The middle finger applying force on the seam produces a cutting revolution through the centre of the ball which is exactly consistent with the angle of the forearm, wrist, and hand. The easiest mistake to make on this pitch is not staying on top of the ball all of the way thru release, or declared another way, coming back to palm down position before release, eliminating the effect made by the angle of the forearm, wrist, and hand.

A slider, when thrown correctly by a right-handed pitcher, will cut away from a right handed batter and cut in on a left-handed batter. The opposite effect is true for a left-handed pitcher throwing a slider. A good rule of thumb for the average predicted movement of a good slider is 6 inches across and 6 inches down. When teaching somebody how to throw a slider, the best pitching coaches will ordinarily recommend the slider be anywhere from 9-12 mph slower than one’s best fastball.

One final caution and it is related to youth pitchers. A slider is probably one of the most wearing pitches on anyones arm and shouldn't even be introduced until age 13 at the earliest. Coaches will typically get asked by players younger than this how to throw a slider, and they should all be clear about its long-term risks and deter its use.

Keith Whitten is a youth baseball coach who specializes in training young pitchers in the proper techniques for long term pitching success. Whether its questions like how to throw a curveball or how to throw a slider, or something more intricate like baseball pitching speeds and strategies, you will find Keith knowledgeable and engaging.