Keeping in mind that I trade stocks not futures. My main source of income is from trading and investing.

Went from day trading to swing trading for the following reasons.

1) Time spent at the computer. I make as much or more money in less time
2) Less stress; I make my plan for the next day while the market is closed.
3) Less noise; Longer time frame makes it easier to determine potential S&R; stops and targets are usually further away from the entry.
4) I’m not tempted to overtrade. My exits are set and I’m doing other things while the trade is in progress.
5) Commission and trading costs are less.
6) Easier to maintain discipline; Trades are set without the emotion of an active market affecting my thinking.
7) Swing trading fits my personality.

Actual trade. Shorted 4 6e thursday on day trade. Liked what I saw and rolled all 4 into friday. Bought 2 to lock in profit on friday. Rolled the other 2 into the weekend. Still short 2 runners.

Also have two accounts. Use one for day trading and another for swing trades. Keep both well funded if you have to flip the accounts between time frames. Lots of ways to use this idea.

it's hard to get a large enough sample size of your own trades to know if you're profitable when swing trading.

Part of my answer in the original CL thread was, it also depends on the market. In a dull, flat market a daytrader is probably able to extract some profits from the market while the swingtrader is just waiting for his exits to be hit. Also if it is a very volatile market the swingtrader might be able to take advantage of it only once between 2 price level moves while the daytrader maybe 2-5 times. So there can be advantages to daytrading, depending on market conditions. But a daytrader probably spends way more on commissions.

The biggest advantage of swing trading is the less need to monitor the markets because of the wider exits from the original price.

Now to your points that I numbered:

1. You probably don't have to, depending on your definition of swing. It is just going to be a lots of waiting time while you wait either for the set up or for the position to play out. So you will have lots of extra time...

2. Why don't you try both at the same time, so you will get your answer? Have 2 accounts set up and treat them differently? The swing account should have just a few trades with wider stops and targets, and use bigger timeframes on your charts. But as I said above, at different times you might get different results about what is the more efficient/profitable method...

3. In my experience yes, but not everyone is the same, so whatever suits you. And you can actually use both, there is no law against it...

I'm not sure if it's just me, but it sounds to me that you are not ready to embrace the advantages/disadvantages of both swing trading and day trading but wish to convince others swing trading is the superior method because you had already developed such strong belief yourself. Personally I think this can be dangerous. I believe keeping an open mind is very important in trading.


You can trade successfully with different product, different markets, different strategies and of course different time-frame too. What's important is to find the right package that suits ones' internal personalities and external circumstances.
Claiming swing trading is more superior than day trading sounds just like claiming trading S&P will be more profitable than trading 10 yr notes or trading the Canadian Market will be more profitable than trading in Australian Market (maybe US market is the most popular market for traders, but chances are profitable opportunities exists in any market).

Let's say somehow we could collect data from all traders in this world and found that indeed swing trading traders do have better performance compared to day traders over all matrix including return,risk, psychological state, partner appearance and whatever measurements, it does not mean the future will remain the same. (If anything this study would create more opportunities for day trading.) Unless you can prove not a single person can be profitable day trading and this is clearly not the case.

Let's say you are actually right and no one is day trading any more because its not profitable and they decided to stop "playing around with the numbers", good luck getting your swing trade orders filled.

Be grateful that people trade differently and welcome to the market =)

I will keep an open mind. And I am learning a lot by digging into day trading strategies.

My day trading abilities are not good enough to do this myself. I was just wondering if anyone with good day trading abilities had tried comparing a short 5 day swing trade, for example to day trading each day within that same swing trade and would their day trading abilities be able to make a better profit? Had any one made that comparison for themselves.

Although this is an interesting topic, in the end its a mood point. For every argument for one method there is a counter argument for the other method. This is the same as scalping vs intraday swing trading which has be beaten to death here without any resolution, because there is no resolution its personal preferences and financial limitations.

For example, people say day trading takes a lot of screen time.... I day trade for my primary source of income, I normally start at 9:30AM and I usually meet my daily target by noon (unless I get myself into a pickle then have to spend the rest of the day getting myself out of it). When I am done I leave and enjoy the rest of the day without having to worry about open positions.

It all boils down to the goals, preferences and talents of the individual trader and the trader must find their way by themselves.

I was thinking: isn't it hard to anticipate which of your trades will become a swing trade, and which ones will be a day trade? I mean, you can't just move trades over from one account to another...?