How do you throw a slider

General Pitching Topics
#1

I was wondering how to throw a slider. Is there a secret to it because I have tried and have not had any luck. :frowning: How do you all hold it and release it.

Thanks

BarryZitoFan

#2

First how old are you?

And www.google.com is your friend.

#3

Use the grip that’s in the articles section.

John Smoltz, who has one of the best sliders in MLB, uses the same grip. Similar to a curveball grip. Throw the same as a fastball. Put pressure on the middle finger and thumb. Release with the ball rolling of the side of the index finger. Don’t turn the wrist. Stay behind the ball for as long as possible. Sort of like throwing a football. You can release by pointing the index finger as well to impart the right spin on it, but most don’t. Practice soft tossing it to get the right feel for it, before throwing it full speed.


#4

Thanks xv84 and Bower for the info. :smiley:

#5

Wait how old are you?

#6

can we agree that smoltz slider is very similar to a cutter rather than the big swooping one like Oliver perez has

#7

yeah, he has a “slider” like visciano, who i saw against teh jays today( and wasn’t he wearing an unnecessary amount of those necklace things?) has a slider that is more of a cutter, pettite too…

#8

Similar, but still a slider. Smoltz’ slider is in the mid to high 80’s.

Perez’s arm slot makes his slider have more lateral break compared to Smoltz. Sort of like Randy Johnson’s slider. Johnson has a high sidearm slot. Lefties in general will have more lateral movement on their sliders.

Vizcaino has a low arm slot as well and has a lot of movement on all his pitches.

#9

When you throw a slider just hold it like that and throw a fastball thats a little off at release???

Like throwing a knife

#10

That’s because Mariano’s been working with him. :lol:

I wonder if this guy can replace Mariano’s closer role when he leaves. He has some big shoes to fill though.

#11

yeah, he can be as awesome as he wants as long as those damn yankees lose to the jays in the next 3.

#12

Hmm I dunno about that.

Today was the first of a 4 game series?

#13

ahh no its a 3 game, but luckily for your yankees you get the 2 worst pitchers in the jays rotation, but then you get the doc.

#14

Oh well we’ll see how it goes.

#15

Mariano leavin the yanks and Vizcaino taken over?! na :?

#16

LOl yanks are makin it in the plyoffs through the wildcard. Theyre finally heating up especially the lefties. Matsuis pounding the ball, Canos hot, cabrera and abreu have had their shares and now that arods not concentrating on that 500 land mark hes contribute as usuall. I seriously think the yanks now have a chance to actually make it deep if not win the world series. With chien ming wang, the rocket, mussina, hughes they should do fine with that Veteran bull pen. But we shall see, baseballs full of surprises

#17

thats actuaslly why it’s a good pîtch. perez’s SLIDERis just a curveball thrown sidearm. randy johnson’s slider is just a curveball thrown sidearm. they throw it hard and get a lot of movement the difference between a slider and a cutter is about 10 mphs. if you throw lets say 95mph your cutter is around 91 to 92 your slider is around 83 to 85. smoltz killed the expos back then i hated when we had to face the braves maddux would just dominate glavine would make everybody pop their shoulders and biceps swinging 10 feet before the pitch got their and smoltz was blowing everybody away while using that great slider that my grandfather REALLY hated