I'm not a big fan of the slide step, I like having the same balance point from the stretch and the windup, I personally find that essential to getting into any kind of a groove, but clearly slide steps have worked for pitchers much more successful than I. I like to look at Jerome Williams as a possible alternative to the slidestep; from the stretch, he has a "huge" leg kick, but because of his unreal pickoff move, runners seem to be a lot more tentative in stealing bags on him.