World Series Series, Part 1 – Think Like A Batter

Trading has so many similarities to sports that I can’t help but occasionally mention it. A few years ago I did a series on Trading and Golf, which drew a number of parallels between the two endeavors. It was well-received by you as readers, so to mix things up a little for a few days I’m going to do a mini-series here on baseball and trading analogies to overlap with the World Series, which of course starts tonight.

I don’t know how many games we’ll see this Series go, but I’ll have new posts on game days right here so check back often. Now let’s get right to it with Part 1…

Think Like A Batter

Every batter in the World Series has a skill which has been acquired over time – he anticipates what pitch is coming. He’s played the game long enough, studied each pitcher extensively, and has been coached on the habits of the guy on the mound. So he knows to watch for that slider or change-up.

Now, it’s important to note that there’s a big difference between anticipating and predicting, because remember, predictions don’t do anything for us. However, anticipating makes us sharper. It forces us to watch for some specific clues, which can in turn accelerate the speed at which we’re processing information.

Wait For Your Pitch

As traders, whether we’re monitoring the overall market or a specific stock, it benefits us to anticipate what we might see next. That doesn’t mean we take action before it’s time, because like the batter, he’ll still wait for the pitch before he decides whether or not to act. What it does mean is that we are always attentive to the conditions and on the lookout for certain reactions in the market. That way, when we see them, we’re more prepared to act quickly – and speed is everything in trading (just as it is when swinging at a 90mph fastball).

So think like a batter and start to anticipate what may happen next. Then wait for your pitch before you take action. It will speed up your response when your anticipations are confirmed, but at the very least it will sharpen your attention.

Trade well out there!

Jeff White
President, The Stock Bandit, Inc.
Swing Trading & Day Trading Service
www.TheStockBandit.com

[tags]Stock Market, Day Trading, Stock Trading, Investing, Swing Trading[/tags]