I'm curious how many of you plant your sliding foot, instead of actually sliding.  Is this something you've always done, or have you trained yourself to do it.  Some pros do it, and I wonder if there may be a benefit from this.  Heck, some even wear a tennis shoe on their sliding foot!

Can more leverage or loft result from such a practice, maybe more power?  Can this intentionally be learned or any reason to give it a try.

Hope it's not an ignorant question, but I've been meaning to throw it out there for some opinions.

Yes, a very good question. I have always been a slider without really thinking about an alternative method. Several touring pros---Wes Malott and Michael Haugen---who plant their left foot have had some pretty substantial knee problems. The abrupt force on the left knee probably causes extra wear and tear.

I have a bit of arthritis in both knees. I think that the arthritis in the left knee would be aggravated if I planted the left foot.

I pretty much plant.  There is a tad of a slide there, but not much.  I have been doing it that way for like 20 years now, and I don't have any knee pain, but the way everything else in my body is breaking down I am sure it is only around the corner.  The lack of pain and the relative comfort in which I plant probably has to do a lot with my slow and short approach.

I use to have a longer slide. As I worked to increase my rev rate my slide shortened. It is a very short slide now. It enables me to pull through the ball more.

Having reduced your slide, was it a physical shortening in your approach as well as possibly a change in heels and soles on your shoes?