A common technique is to ride your right thumb on top of the slide release...
Is your last name "Shrdlu"?
Man, you have a much longer thumb than I have.
Didn't you mean "ride your right thumb on top of the
safety"?
If you "ride your right thumb on top of the slide release," you will keep the slide from locking open on an empty magazine, which will complicate your reload and slow it down, someday perhaps fatally.
Not a good idea.
Don't do it.
The barrel (or slide) of the pistol should make a straight-line extension of your forearm, and your whole arm should be locked. You can't do this if your thumb is on the slide release (unless your hand is built like King Kong's).
Your thumb can be on top of the safety lever, holding it down forcefully. This adds downward pressure to control upward recoil force. I do this; but some people don't.
Your body should be turned at about 45 degrees to the target, resting comfortably on slightly-spread feet. Your weak-side shoulder and hip should be in front, your gripping-hand shoulder and hip to the rear.
Your weak-side hand should cover your gripping hand, perhaps with your weak-side forefinger wrapped around the trigger guard. Your weak-side thumb should rest on the frame, below the slide, as far forward as you can get it.
Your weak-side arm should be bent at the elbow, elbow pointing straight down, and your weak-side hand should be pulling back on the pistol while your gripping-hand's arm pushes forward. (On the backs of comic books, this used to be called "Dynamic Tension.")
Bring the sights up to your eye level, not your head down to the sights.
Now you know how to hold a pistol.
Press the trigger straight back with a slow, even pressure. Don't "pull" the trigger, and don't jerk it either. Don't apply any side pressure at all.
When you hear the "BANG!" don't move. Hold that pose. Count to five, slowly. That's called "follow through."
Now start all over again.
And again.
And so on...