What you need to know before scalping
Scalping requires a trader to have iron discipline, but it is also very demanding in terms of time. While longer-term time frames and smaller sizes allow traders to step away from their platforms, since possible entries are fewer and can be monitored from a distance, scalping demands a trader’s full attention.
Possible entry points can appear and disappear very quickly, and thus, a trader must remain tied to his platform. For individuals with day jobs and other activities, scalping is not necessarily an ideal strategy. Instead, longer-term trades with bigger profit targets are more suited.
Scalping is a difficult strategy to execute successfully. One of the primary reasons is that it requires many trades over the course of time. Research on this subject tends to show that more frequent traders merely lose money more quickly, and have a negative equity curve. Instead, most traders would find more success, and reduce their time commitments to trading, and even cut down on stress, by looking for long-term trades and avoid scalping strategies.
Scalping requires quick responses to market movements and an ability to forgo a trade if the exact moment is missed. ‘Chasing’ trades, along with a lack of stop loss discipline, are the key reasons that scalpers are often unsuccessful. The idea of only being in the market for a short period of time sounds attractive, but the chances of being stopped out on a sudden move that quickly reverses is high.
Trading is an activity that rewards patience and discipline. While those successful in scalping do demonstrate these qualities, they are a small number. Most traders are better off with a longer-term view, smaller position sizes and a less frenetic pace of activity.
