Quote from trade-ya1:
I think both the proponents as well as detracters of trend-following on this thread have focused too much on the "science" or "math" behind trend-following...
The fact is that markets spend a great deal of time moving sideways and it is those sideways or choppy markets that a trend-follower (no matter how skilled) will lose money. Knowing when to apply trend-following and to which markets is a subjective call which is often the difference between successs and failure...
trade-ya1,
I agree with many things you said but what I don't agree is when you said...
no matter how skilled...will lose money.
Well...that's only true if the trend method has no trading plan for adapting or if the trader really wasn't a skilled trader...
Most don't based on what I see in some of the journal section and from some traders that tell me they have gone from method to method.
In addition, I do know that those that are
skilled (as you reference them) when they recognize a sideways or choppy markets or markets that lack volatility...
Those skilled traders will simply either change their chart interval so that its not sideways or choppy and/or switch from that particular trading instrument to another trading instrument that is trending.
If they didn't adapt...I wouldn't call them skilled traders as to impy they are profitable traders.
In other words, its part of their trading plan that tell them its time to adapt.
To me...this is the main reason why some trend traders have big drawdowns compared to others that have very little drawdowns.
My point...examples...if the markets is choppy or sideways on the 60min chart interval...
Adapt and apply the trend method on a different chart interval that's not choppy or on whatever time frame that's not choppy.
Further, I've seen too many traders here at ET keep trading the same trading instrument with a trend method as that trading instrument traverses from trend environment to choppy environment.
Why try to be a super hero, why try to be clever when it seems to me the easier path is to either change the interval to a more tradable interval and/or change the trading instrument to one that is currently trending.
To me...what they really are saying is they either refuse to adapt as market conditions changed or didn't have the ability or trading plan for adapting.
Just needed to piss on my spot on the wall just like all the other dogs have done here
NihabaAshi