Master Your Trading – Through Observation

Let me ask you a question.

If you’d never watched a game of baseball a day in your life, then fell in love with a “baseball fanatic”…How long do you think it would have taken you to get the gist of things?

You’d stroll by the T.V a couple of times…then maybe peruse the odd magazine lying around the house, pick up on a bit of the “lingo” and who knows? – maybe even ask a couple of questions about it yourself! Next thing you know…you’ve got the basics. You see the batter, you understand the guy needs to hit the ball then run around the “diamond”, touching all the bases in order to score. You understand that it takes 9 “innings”, and the team who’s had the most guys run around the diamond in that time – wins.

Basic. Very basic.

Now…..how bout the “double play”, or maybe the “bunt”? Have you considered the pitcher’s ability to throw that tiny ball with a “curve”?  Have you covered “stealing a base”?

Nope. Not so basic.

The question is…..Would you really “ever” take a deep enough interest in baseball to understand it through and through? Literally…to know ever single facet of the game, no questions asked , bang ! boom! wow! – You’ve got this down!!

Absolutely not. So now….with your “vast knowledge” of the game, your “deep understanding” of every nuance – imagine……………………….. you’re asked to step out on the field and “actually play”!

Have you ever even “held” a bat? Can you even run?

More later……..

5 Responses

  1. Graham Herbert (@mistergmh) November 30, 2013 / 4:58 pm

    Hey Kong … Your being very Philosophical this morning … I am actually a retired basketball coach of 20 years and you have just identified a coaching / teaching technique called “whole part whole” where you give the simplified basics of the game, then break it down to the individual skills and techniques required to succeed while leading back to the whole game again … I am also accredited by the Australian Institute of Sport to teach new coaches and since we are on a philosophical note today here is a thought provoking statement that I have always put on the first page of my teaching manual …

    “As repetition is the mother of all knowledge and skill,
    It then naturally follows that communication and observation are the criterion by which enables us to attain
    the knowledge and skills to reach our goals and ambitions in life.”

    You might not be aware but that is what you are supplying with this blog … Your a good man … What I believe is the most crucial aspect of traders (including myself) is that little demon in all our heads creating “stinkin thinkin” which causes us to procrastinate when that door of opportunity opens and we miss out … One might be the loneliest number but “What If” or “If only” are the sorriest words that you will ever hear … Anyway mate have a great Sunday in the Sun …

    • Forex Kong November 30, 2013 / 9:39 pm

      Hi Graham.

      Yes….on the weekend I try to “stretch it a bit” with the writing as the daily stuff just gets tiring at times.

      Your experience in sports is bang on as I’ve “tried” to draw the parallel.

      Repetition is certainly key – If I could possibly log the amount of hours, the amount of times I’ve been over it, then again, and again and again.

      I do hope to pass along to those getting started “just how hard” they likely need to work in order to get it right, and hopefully motivate them along the way!

  2. Andy Jacko Jackson. December 1, 2013 / 4:28 am

    Morning all,
    I too coach Graham – junior Tabletennis. If I had to log the amount of hours repeating forehand topspin exercises with groups and players it would be in the hundreds of thousands I’m sure. The parallels Kong and your good self have made are spot on. Time and Effort = reward. Simple.
    Whilst my card is definitely punched with Tabletennis, with Forex I’ve just clocked in!

    • Forex Kong December 1, 2013 / 8:27 am

      Excellent! We’ve got two sports coaches on board!

      I’ve been involved with sports my entire life, and continue to push / learn new things in the gym as well with diving.

      I look at the discipline and dedication to trading as being very much the same as training for a sport.

      You really can’t expect to get to far slacking off……

      • Graham Herbert (@mistergmh) December 1, 2013 / 5:00 pm

        Hey Andy glad to have a soul mate on board … we can learn here together …and Kong something else you are doing here that will benefit yourself as well … If you want to get better and retain the knowledge that you have “teach it to others” … for if you dont use it you loose it … a lot of what I understand about basketball has come from the Kids I coached and plaid against … I remember fondly a young 12YO by the name of Bogut … I only had Melbourne Australia as my area mate you have the whole world as yours …

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