What Wild Boar Hunting, Triathlons, and Racquetball Can Teach You About Trading

Trading is like anything else worth doing.

If you want to be good, you've got to develop discipline, patience, and mental toughness.

Now, you can learn plenty about trading by watching screens and reading books… but sometimes, the very best lessons come on mile 25 of a marathon… or when a 200-pound boar is charging you at full speed.

So we sat down with several of our trading experts to talk about the lessons they've learned far way from their charts and spreadsheets.

Here are their stories.

Brandon Perry on Hunting Wild Boars

Here in Texas, we love the taste of wild boars.

But wild boars love the taste of crops, grazing fields, wildlife, and private property.

Smithsonian magazine said they're “among the most destructive invasive species in the United States today,” doing $400 million worth of damage in Texas annually.

I have a rancher friend who invites me to help take care of his problem with wild boars.

We start with weather patterns. If it's rainy, the boars spread out and won’t be concentrated around a water source.

In the winter, food gets scarce and they move away from acorn-rich oak trees to lowland valleys with rich sources of grass and grubs.

In the summer, they stay out of the brutal Texas heat during the day.

That's my macro analysis.

Next, I have to drill down to analyze my specific target.

Boars are probably the most dangerous wild land animal in Texas.

They have razor sharp tusks and they're not afraid to take on humans.

One time on a hunt, we came across a 200+ pound boar. We're talking a big ugly beast right out of a horror movie.

We saw it and it saw us.

Usually they run away. This boar didn't.

He turned toward us and started sauntering toward us.

We had a choice. We could run or shoot.

My friend took a shot with his AK-47.

Now you may think having an AK-47 made this an unfair fight. But boars are very, very tough, with with inch-thick skin and a cranial bone that can deflect bullets.

The first shot only made it turn.

The second took it down.

In hunting, there are a few very important rules to follow.

1. Only take a sure shot
2. Don’t be afraid to pass on a shot
3. Don’t rush your shot.

These rules also apply to trading.

For example, I love trading washout lows, but it's not easy.

I have to make sure the technicals are right.

And when I have my target picked out, I can't rush in. I need to wait until the odds are in my favor.

If things go wrong, I need enough room to exit the situation to minimize risk… whether I'm looking at a charging stock or a charging boar.

When trading lows, you have a brief moment for action, and then the opportunity is gone.

But in trading, like hunting, opportunities always come around again.

So don't rush to pick a shot. You'll get another.

Brandon is a contributor to the Virtual Trading Floor®. Click here for a 14-Day FREE Trial.

Scott Redler on Triathlons

If you want a better brain, build a better body.

One of the biggest factors in my trading success has been competing in 100+ triathlons and marathons, including 2 Ironman events.

When I started doing triathlons, my trading profits went through the roof for 2 reasons.

First, I suddenly had fewer hours in the day.

That may seem a little counter intuitive, but hear me out.

To balance my trading career and family time with triathlon training, I was forced to become more focused.

I started getting up earlier, partying less, and most importantly, I learned the power of a routine.

Instead of flying by the seat of my pants, I started every trading day with a comprehensive plan.

That's why I'm so adamant about daily game planning.

If you don't have a plan, you end up wasting all your time and energy trying to figure out what to do!

When you start your day with a plan, you can keep your eyes on the prize and not waste your time with distractions.

And the second reason endurance training is valuable is that it builds mental toughness.

You learn that you're capable of a lot more than you think.

When you start out running, running a mile or two may seem impossible.

And then you read about Fauja Singh, a man who ran his first marathon at 89!

So find an outlet that pushes you physically.

It could be an Ironman.

Or it could be a walk around the neighborhood, a martial art, or pushups in the office at lunch.

Just do something.

Click here to learn about Redler Ultimate Access, Scott's new trader training program.

Mark Harila on Racquetball

I’ m a trader and a racquetball player.

After a day sitting in the office staring at charts, I love the physicality of racquetball.

Getting your heart rate up and losing yourself in the game is a great way to let the tensions of our profession go by the wayside.

The comradery I have with other players and random little moments of levity really bring me back down to Earth.

There are many parallels between racquetball and trading.

There's often a furious pace of play that requires instant analysis.

On the court, you must assess:

• Where the ball is now
• Where it is likely to go
• Where the other players are
• Where to set yourself up in order to best take advantage of the situation

In trading, you must assess:

• Where the price action is now
• Where it is likely to go
• Where support and resistance (other players) are
• Where to find your entries to take advantage of the price action

Novice racquetball players are desperate to hit the ball to score points.

So they'll chase after the ball once it has passed them, rather than running to a spot that will give them an opportunity.

They take wild shots, swinging and missing repeatedly, because they don't plan, and don't know where the ball is going.

Novice traders are much the same.

Experienced racquetball players move to areas that offer high-probability plays. They'll let the first point of contact go if necessary, allowing the ball to bounce off the back wall so that they can take a better shot.

They only swing when they have the highest odds of scoring, or to set themselves up for a better future shot.

Professional traders are similar. They don’t chase. Rather, they  go to where the action is most likely to reward them and wait for the right opportunity.

And when the setup fails, they do what's necessary to stay in the game.

The one thing that racquetball offers that trading does not; if all your analysis and effort fails, at least you get to hit SOMETHING!

Mark Harila is a contributor to the T3 Live Black Room. Click here for access to our FREE Black Room Open House