How much live sliding practice?

[Dan]

In the past I have been reluctant to put my players through live sliding practice for fear of injury. Now I am not satisfied with the sliding skills we have displayed in games. Enough so that I am considering requiring the players to wear pants and bring tennis shoes to all practices and be prepared to slide. I would like to know what other coaches do to teach and drill sliding.

[Coachbgb]

Dan, One rule on my teams is you must always be prepared to slide. Either for sliding drills or as part of other baserunning drills. Even when we have baserunners for situation drills they are expected to slide. How old are your girls ? Much depends on their skill level as to what you work on.

[Jim Ginas]

MY FAVORITE SLIDING DRILL:
incorporates my catchers and SS: one line at 1B and one at 2B:
1st to 2B is a hook slide with a catcher's throw off my pitch. Incorporates STEAL off the pitcher's motion and hook slide to avoid the catcher's throw (and sometimes I do leads and reacts to passd balls, so they learn to react from their leads, which SHOULD be hard enogh ASSUMING a ball in teh dirt EVERY Pitch, then if not, back to base, but if so, they throw their right elbow and go!).

2b-3B is a Break up a force play slide on the same pitch and rotate to 1B line.
*** ALLOWS Catchers to work their glove-to-glove time and throws and all players to work BOTH HOOK and Breaking up force in a very short period of time. Let them run this 4-6 slides EACH base before you STOP the drill.

Often times I'll CONTINUE Sliding practice with the same HOOK SLIDE to 3B and break up a force play at 2B to allow catchers to work throws to 3B on steals or blocked balls.