The slider is a combination of a fast ball and a curve ball that slides

more horizontally rather than vertically. Some players that have thrown

effective sliders in recent years are C.C. Sabathia and previous to that

David Cone, who in 1999 threw a perfect game, using a slider grip. Bob

Gibson, historically, was an outstanding pitcher who used the slider.

The slider is thrown effectively by putting the middle and pointer finger

against the seam on the baseball. And it is thrown with a quarter turn of

the wrist, pronating the thumb upwards upon release. It must be thrown with

a fast ball arm speed so as the batter will not be tipped off that an off

speed pitch is coming. A slider is usually three to five miles an hour

slower than a fastball and has late break as Ron Guidry in the late 1970s

showed when he struck out 18 batters of the California Angels with a nasty

left-handed slider.

These are some tips for throwing an effective slider.