Introduction

There are two ways to learn swing trading. You can try to piece it together from YouTube videos, Reddit posts, and recycled Twitter threads, hoping to stumble upon a method that actually works.
Or…
You can learn directly from funded traders who trade real capital, with real results, inside a real prop firm. This eBook is your shortcut to the latter.

We’ve gathered the strategies, routines, risk rules, and mindset of some of Trade The Pool’s top swing traders; people who passed our swing evaluations and now trade live accounts with payouts, freedom, and structure. These aren’t textbook theories. They’re the setups, tools, and techniques that our traders rely on week in and week out.

Whether you’re just starting out or trying to improve your edge, this book will walk you through:

• The exact setups our funded swing traders use
• How they find stocks before the move
• Which indicators actually matter (and which don’t)
• How they manage risk like pros, even on losing days
• What their daily and weekly routines look like
• And most importantly: how you can follow the same path

We’re not here to sell hype. We’re here to give you clarity. Let’s dive in, and take you inside the mindset of real swing traders.

Chapter 1: Swing Trading Strategies That Work

If you’re reading this, you’re probably not looking for fluff. You want strategies that work. Not recycled setups from YouTube, not “theoretical frameworks”, but what real traders use, day in and day out, to make actual money.

That’s exactly what you’ll find here. We’ve gathered the exact playbooks of funded swing traders who passed our evaluations and now manage Trade The Pool’s capital. You’re going to see what they look for in a setup, which patterns and rules they follow, how they manage risk, and what makes each strategy effective for different trader profiles.

No theory. Just practical, proven tactics. Let’s dive in.

Shorting Overextended Penny Stocks – Sabrina D.

“If it’s up 50%+ premarket, I’m interested.”

Sabrina D. is one of our funded traders known for her sharp short bias, and a disciplined approach to penny stocks. While others chase the hype, she fades it. Her strategy revolves around identifying parabolic gainers – usually penny stocks that have jumped 50% or more in the premarket – and looking for signs they’ll reverse. These include signs like thinning volume, heavy dilution, and price struggling near key resistance levels.

She begins her morning by scanning stocks with large premarket gains using tools like Trade-Ideas and checks daily resistance levels using TrendSpider. Then, she cross-references float data and dilution signals (such as S-3 filings or ATM offerings). Once a ticker meets her criteria, she looks for confirmation – a push into resistance with a failed breakout, fading volume, and rejection near VWAP. Only then does she enter a starter short, risking no more than $200. If the trade confirms, she scales in.

“My job is not to be right often, it’s to size up when the fade starts working.”

Example Trade – VERB (Oct 14, 2024 – Oct 15, 2024):

• Shorted VERB at $13.28 after 90%+ pre-market gap-up fueled by reverse split hype and CEO valuation claims.
• Rumors of a merger and launch of “GO FUND YOURSELF!” drove volume to 37M+—perfect setup for overextension fade.
• Covered at $9.65 as price cracked VWAP and failed to hold key support; dilution risk and liquidity confirmed downside.

Liquidity Trap Reversals – Anna M.

Anna came to swing trading after day trading proved too stressful alongside her 9-to-5 job. She brings surgical focus and patience to her approach, specializing in fading crowded penny stock rallies. She targets moves where stocks rally 100%+ in a day and begin showing signs of exhaustion. Her primary focus is on strong daily resistance zones, float analysis, and Level 2 order flow.

If the crowd has already piled in and momentum starts fading – that’s her opportunity. She prepares trades the night before, analyzing float, social buzz, and liquidity zones. By morning, she has a clear plan. She only enters when she sees ask stacking, time-and-sales slowdowns, and momentum fading. If it doesn’t check all her boxes, she passes.

“I’m not chasing. I’m letting the market show me when it’s tired. Then I strike.”

Example Trade – RELI (Dec 23, 2024 – Jan 7, 2025):

• Dec 23: Shorted at $4.79 after parabolic wick hit resistance; Level 2 showed thinning bids and widened spread
• Dec 23: Scaled out same day into drop; liquidity dried up as market makers pulled bids
• Jan 7: Final covers at $2.63 after clean breakdown; volume spike confirmed follow-through, and L2 showed aggressive hitting of the bid

Breakout from Consolidation – William C.

William is a classic breakout trader, influenced by names like Nicolas Darvas and Mark Minervini. His focus: tight consolidation ranges following big moves. Each Sunday, William reviews charts of momentum runners that have made strong moves (often 100%+), then entered 20–30 day sideways consolidation. He uses simple trendlines, volume tapering, and breakout confirmation. Risking 1% per trade and expects a 70% failure rate. His edge? Size discipline, pattern clarity, and emotional neutrality.

“It’s math. I just need one out of three trades to hit a 3R target, and I’m good.”

Example Trade – BFLY (Nov 4, 2024 – Nov 11, 2024):

• Nov 4: Long at $1.95 on triangle breakout with tight price action and declining volume
• Nov 6: Q3 earnings beat triggered surge; volume spike confirmed momentum
• Nov 11: Sold at $2.69 into gap resistance; hit 37R+ on strict 1% risk rule

Trend Pullback on Large Caps – Luke X.

Luke avoids low-float chaos. He prefers trading large-cap tech stocks with trend stability and liquidity. Think Apple, Tesla, NVIDIA, PDD. His setup: pullback to 5-period SMA on the 1-hour or 4-hour chart, ideally following a catalyst. Avoiding trades before 10:00 AM to skip early volatility, uses ATR to guide profit targets, and splits his daily risk across multiple ideas. His method suits his timezone and lifestyle, and his discipline shows in his 52% win rate with 2.3R average reward.

“Swing trading fits my life. I sleep better, trade better, and think clearer.”

Example Trade – PDD (Oct 2, 2024 – Oct 8, 2024):

• Entered short position at $152.69
• Added on same day into weak bounce
• Covered at $137.93 for a $2,208 profit

Chapter 2: Technical Indicators That Matter

Swing traders don’t need a dozen indicators. They need a few powerful ones they fully understand and apply consistently. Every funded trader we’ve featured here relies on their own unique blend, based not on what’s trendy, but on what delivers real edge.

Let’s break down how our traders actually use technical indicators in their day-to-day decision-making.

VWAP (Volume-Weighted Average Price)

Used by: Sabrina D. — VWAP on a Chart

Sabrina trades short setups in penny stocks that spike hard premarket. VWAP is her compass. When a runner pushes up at the open but fails to hold above VWAP, that’s her signal that buyers may be exhausting.

She combines this with thinning volume and dilution signals to validate the trade. She’ll only short once the price confirms weakness below VWAP, often in conjunction with rejection at daily resistance.

“VWAP isn’t just a line – it tells me if the average buyer is winning or losing.”

Level 2 & Order Flow

Used by: Anna M. —  Level 2 Data

Anna doesn’t use traditional indicators as much. Her edge comes from interpreting Level 2 data and tape reading. She looks at bid/ask pressure, order stacking, and spread behavior to gauge whether momentum is fading.

If a stock is showing signs of exhaustion, that is, the spread widens, volume shrinks, and there’s clear resistance nearby, that’s her go signal.

“The tape doesn’t lie. If the crowd’s buying dries up, I see it before the chart does.”

5-SMA and ATR (Average True Range)

Used by: Luke X. —  5-SMA Example

Luke keeps it clean. He uses 5-period simple moving average (SMA) to track short-term trend pullbacks on the 1-hour and 4-hour charts. A touch of the 5-SMA after a catalyst-driven move becomes his entry zone.

He uses ATR to set realistic expectations. If ATR is $6, he won’t expect to make $12 in two days. He sizes his targets within the range of what the stock can deliver.

“I don’t chase miracles. I chase probability inside structure.”

Volume & Consolidation

Used by: William C. — Volume & Consolidation Example

William studies volume like a surgeon. His playbook depends on volume spiking on the initial run, declining during consolidation, and surging again on breakout. If volume is still rising during the base, he passes.

He overlays this with basic trendlines to define triangles, flags, and other classic breakout structures. No fluff.

“No clean volume structure? No trade.”

Bonus Tip: Combining Indicators with Context

The real key? No indicator works in isolation. Each trader uses these tools inside a bigger system:

• Sabrina pairs VWAP with dilution & resistance
• Anna matches L2 with sentiment & float
• Luke blends 5-SMA with time-of-day and catalyst
• William demands volume + structure + pattern

This is how real funded traders do it.

Chapter 3: How Funded Swing Traders Find Their Stocks

Strategies are useless without the right stocks. That’s why our traders spend as much time scanning, filtering, and validating setups as they do managing entries and exits. Here’s how they each build their watchlists, and the unique techniques they use to identify high-probability swing trade candidates. These are the actual workflows of our funded swing traders: Sabrina, Anna, William, and Luke.

Each of them has a different style, personality, and schedule, and they’ve built their scanning methods to fit that reality.

Premarket Scans for High-Flyers

Used by: Sabrina D.

Sabrina starts every morning with a scan focused on premarket movers up 30% or more, with volume over 500K. Her goal: find penny stocks that are gapping up too much, too fast, with a weak fundamental reason behind the move.

She filters for:

• Micro-cap stocks (under $300M market cap)
• Daily chart resistance within 5–10%
• History of offerings, dilution, or failed breakouts
• Thin order books that often result in sharp fades

Once she identifies a ticker, she uses TrendSpider to mark daily resistance, and reads filings (like S-3 or ATM shelf registrations) to gauge dilution potential. Only when multiple “fade factors” line up does she start building a short plan.

“The scanner shows me hype. The chart shows me where the hype dies.”

Evening Watchlist & Sentiment Sweep

Used by: Anna M.

Anna works a full-time job as a business analyst. She doesn’t have time to babysit charts all day, so her process is all about night-before preparation.

Each evening around 9 PM, she:

• Checks the biggest gainers from that day
• Filters for tickers that moved 100%+
• Scans Twitter/X, Reddit, and StockTwits for hype
• Looks for signs of thin float, heavy emotion, or bagholder traps
• Reviews volume profile and key daily levels

She builds a shortlist of 2–3 candidates. If one of them shows pre-market liquidity and fails near a known resistance zone, she executes in the first hour, and lets the trade run without micro-managing it.

“I need to see the crowd already in the trade before I consider fading it.”

Weekly Pattern Scan

Used by: William C.

William isn’t chasing. He’s waiting. His watchlist begins every Sunday, where he reviews charts of stocks that exploded recently (typically up 100%+ in the last month), then entered a sideways consolidation for 20+ days.

His scan includes:

• Tight price action (flags, triangles, rectangles)
• Volume tapering (decline during consolidation)
• Strong prior momentum
• Breakout zones above obvious resistance

He draws trendlines manually, sets alerts on breakout levels, and waits. He might go an entire week without trading, then enter a breakout with 5:1 reward-to-risk.

“My scanner builds a backlog of patterns. I just wait for them to come to life.”

Trend & Catalyst Filters on Large Caps

Used by: Luke X. — Example Pullbacks

Luke focuses on large-cap names that most traders know: Tesla, Apple, NVIDIA, Amazon. His swing trades are driven by pullbacks inside trends, and everything starts with a scan for macro-aligned tech setups.

He filters for:

• High relative volume (RVOL > 1.5)
• Recent earnings/catalyst moves
• 4-hour trend in place, 5-SMA nearby
• Range contraction (tight bars before expansion)

Adds a macro layer, using CPI reports, FOMC meetings, or sector rotation to help decide if the market supports continuation. He typically trades 1–3 names per week, with strong familiarity. Furthermore, he’s not chasing momentum, he’s joining structure after volatility compresses.

“I don’t need 50 tickers. I need 3 clean ones with real flow.”

Key Takeaway

There’s no one right way to find trades. Some traders scan every morning. Others work at night. Some focus on penny stocks and dilution, others swing pullbacks in mega caps.
What matters is that you build a scan routine that fits your edge, your lifestyle, and your mindset.

Chapter 4: Risk Management for Swing Traders

Every winning trader you’ve met in this book has one thing in common: they don’t blow up. It’s not because they’re always right, far from it. It’s because they manage risk like their life depends on it. Risk management is not a backup plan. It’s the core system that keeps traders in the game when the market turns, when trades don’t go as expected, or when emotions rise.

Each funded swing trader featured here passed their evaluation not just by having a strong strategy, but by having a solid risk plan and sticking to it.
Let’s break down the risk management rules these funded traders used to protect the capital, and stay in the game long enough to win.

Sabrina D. – Small Initial Risk, Scaling with Confirmation

Sabrina’s strategy involves shorting highly volatile penny stocks. And she knows these names can move fast against her, so she builds her position slowly.

Her rule:

• Risk $200 max on initial entry
• Scale only when the trade confirms (VWAP rejection, clear fail at resistance)
• Never go above her daily max loss set by Trade The Pool

This gives her space to survive fakeouts and lets her size up only when the odds shift in her favor.

“You don’t win by size. You win by staying cool under pressure.”

Anna M. – The One-Mistake Rule

Anna’s edge isn’t just in spotting reversals,it’s in avoiding impulsive decisions. She gave herself a personal rule: only one mistake per day.

That means:

• If she breaks her plan, she closes the trade and stops for the day
• If she enters too early or sizes too big, she exits and journals it
• She won’t chase a “make back” trade to fix the first one

Her mindset is more important than her indicators. And that’s why her win rate is so high.

“If I break my rules twice, it’s no longer the market’s fault.”

William C. – 1% Max Risk, 3R+ Target or Nothing

William’s breakout strategy works — but he admits it has a high failure rate. Hence, he built his model around strict 1% risk per trade, with targets of 3R or more. He expects to be wrong more than half the time. But when he wins — the numbers make up for it.

His key rules:

• Each trade = 1% risk
• No revenge trades
• Stop loss must be technical, not emotional
• Will not take setups that don’t offer at least 3:1 reward:risk

“I don’t need to be right. I need to be disciplined.”

Luke X. – Risk Segmentation & Time-Based Entry

Luke’s process is built for survivability. He divides his daily max risk (e.g., $1,300) across 3 to 5 trades instead of putting it all into one idea. That way, one bad read won’t ruin the day.

In addition:

• He only trades after 10:00 AM NY time (less volatility)
• He avoids early entries that might get shaken out
• He uses ATR to size targets based on volatility

This allows him to stay calm, avoid emotional entries, and reduce exposure to erratic price action at the open.

“Managing risk isn’t just about position size, it’s about managing yourself.”

Universal Risk Management Principles

Across all our funded swing traders, these principles come up again and again:

• Fixed % risk per trade (not random)
• Defined stop loss BEFORE entry
• No revenge trades after a loss
• Smaller size until confirmation
• Use firm’s built-in loss limits as protection
• Journal every mistake – and don’t repeat it

The point isn’t to avoid losses, it’s to make sure no single loss can take you out.

Chapter 5: Daily & Weekly Routine of Funded Swing Traders

Swing trading rewards those who show up prepared. While beginners often focus only on the entry, funded traders know that success starts long before, and continues long afterthe click.
The best traders treat this like a process. They scan, plan, execute, and review. Again and again. The routine itself becomes the edge.

In this chapter, we take you inside the actual schedules of four funded swing traders — each with a different lifestyle, market focus, and rhythm. Some trade full-time. Others balance swing trades with a 9-to-5. But all of them have structure.

Let’s see how they turn discipline into results.

Sabrina D. – Morning Execution, Process Over Emotion

Sabrina’s trades happen quickly, sometimes within the first 30 minutes of the market open, but her preparation begins much earlier. Her edge comes from identifying parabolic penny stocks in premarket, analyzing key levels, and being ready before others react emotionally.

Her daily routine:

• 7:30 AM: Runs premarket scanners for 30%+ movers
• 8:00–8:30 AM: Uses TrendSpider to draw key resistance levels
• 8:30–9:15 AM: Reviews filings and dilution potential
• 9:30 AM: Watches for spike into mapped level and VWAP rejection
  After Entry: Logs trade, sets stop, steps away if needed

She doesn’t trade every day — but when she does, it’s with a clear plan. Her process is designed to remove emotion and trust the data.

“If I feel rushed, I don’t trade. I already know what I’m waiting for.”

Anna M. – Night Prep for the Working Trader

Anna proves that swing trading can fit around a demanding day schedule. Her system is built for clarity, speed, and automation. Each night, after work, she reviews the top movers of the day, looking for signs of overextension, thin floats, and emotional hype. She journals, prepares alerts, and enters only when the market confirms her thesis the next morning.

Her hybrid routine:

• 9:00 PM (Night Before):
  • Scans daily runners
  • Reviews charts, sentiment, and float data
  • Writes out a basic trade plan
• 8:00 AM:
  • Quick check: Is volume confirming the setup?
  • Sets limit/stop orders as needed
• 10:00 AM:
  • Executes trade only if plan confirms
  • Walks away, returns to her job
• After Work:
  • Journals trade, reviews execution and psychology
  • Plans for the next session

This structured flow gives her the confidence to trade without screen addiction.

“Swing trading isn’t about watching every tick, it’s about preparing like a pro.”

William C. – Sunday Scans, Midweek Breakouts

William’s swing style is methodical. He doesn’t chase intraday moves. Instead, he builds watchlists over the weekend and waits patiently for breakouts from tight consolidation.
His routine is all about front-loading the work so that midweek execution is minimal and focused.

Weekly structure:

• Sunday Afternoon:
  • Scans 100+ charts looking for triangle, flag, and box patterns
  • Filters for stocks with momentum and clean bases
  • Draws support/resistance lines and sets alerts
• Monday–Wednesday:
  • Watches for breakout volume and price confirmation
  • Enters only if technicals align
• End of Week:
  • Journals trades
  • Logs emotional state and rule adherence
  • Refines scanner for next week

William’s key: predict nothing, prepare for everything.

“If I do the work on Sunday, the market does the rest.”

Luke X. – Calm Execution, Macro Awareness

Luke trades U.S. tech stocks from a different timezone, which means early market hours don’t work for him. He solved that by crafting a routine that fits his lifestyle and psychology.
His system is focused on pullbacks within uptrends, and his entries only happen after volatility has settled.

His swing flow:

• Night Before:
  • Macro prep: news events, earnings, CPI, Fed speakers
  • Identifies 2–4 large-cap stocks with strong technical structure
• Market Open (Watched, Not Traded):
  • Observes open for fakeouts or forced moves
  • Waits for clarity and direction
• 10:00 AM onward:
  • Looks for clean pullbacks into 5-SMA on 1H/4H chart
  • Enters with partial size, adds on confirmation
• Evening:
  • Reviews ATR behavior
  • Logs results and trade psychology

His goal isn’t to trade often, it’s to trade only when the setup aligns with trend, timing, and temperament

“No setup is worth breaking my structure for.”

Building Your Own Routine

Your routine doesn’t need to be complex. It needs to be consistent.

You don’t need to wake up at 4:00 AM or trade 20 tickers. What you do need is a flow that:

• Prepares your mind
• Filters your watchlist
• Limits impulsive entries
• Makes review a habit

Start simple. Copy what fits you. Refine as you grow.

So… What Do These Traders All Have in Common?

They live in different places. They trade different tickers. Some work full-time jobs, others stare at charts. But there’s one thread that connects them all: They were funded through Trade The Pool.

None of them started with huge capital. None of them were handed easy money. They all passed our swing trading evaluation, and earned the right to trade real funds, with real rules, real payouts, and real support. If you’re wondering how that works, and whether it’s something you can do too, the next chapter is for you.

Chapter 6: What is Trade The Pool?

By now, you’ve seen how real swing traders think, plan, and execute. You’ve walked through their strategies, their scanning methods, and their personal routines.

But there’s one question that naturally follows: How did these traders get funded?

The answer is Trade The Pool — a modern prop trading firm built to support independent traders like you.

A Prop Firm Built for Swing Traders

Most prop firms are built around day trading, fast action, tight stops, and sitting at the screen all day. That’s not our model. Trade The Pool was designed with swing traders in mind.

We believe traders should be able to:

• Hold overnight positions
• Trade at their own pace
• Focus on structure, not speed
• Build consistency with time, not pressure

Our Swing Trading Evaluation is tailored for that. It tests your ability to manage risk, follow a plan, and stay consistent. If you pass — we fund you with a real account.

“I was already trading my own strategy. TTP just gave me structure and capital.”
— Anna M., funded swing trader

What Do Funded Traders Get?

When you pass the challenge, you get access to the full professional suite, not just capital.

Here’s what’s included:
✅ Real Capital to Trade: Start with $12K, $24K, or more. Trade real market conditions — with real risk and reward.
✅ Keep Up to 70% of Your Profits: We split profits with you. The better you trade, the more you keep.
✅ No Pattern Day Trading Rule (PDT): You can trade freely without needing $25K in your own account.
✅ Top-Tier Tools, On Us: All funded traders get access to:

• TrendSpider – Automated charting and backtesting
• Bookmap – Order flow and volume visualization
• Trade-Ideas – Real-time scanning
• TraderSync – Professional trade journaling

✅ Trader Support & Community: Join our Discord, attend live strategy calls, get mentor feedback, and stay plugged in.
✅ Clear Path to Scaling: As you prove consistency, we’ll help you grow. Some traders started with $12K and now manage much more.

Who is TTP For?

We’ve funded:

• Nighttime traders with full-time jobs
• Ex-day traders looking for a slower pace
• Technical pattern traders
• Short-biased penny stock specialists
• Long-biased tech swing traders
• People from the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond

In short: if you have a strategy and the discipline to follow it, there’s a spot for you here. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be real.

“It’s definitely been easier on my trading psychology compared to when I used to be on a brokerage account. Trade The Pool has been easier for sure.”
— Sabrina D., funded swing trader with over $15,000 payouts

A Platform, Not a Course

Let’s be clear: Trade The Pool is not a trading course. It’s not a mentorship. It’s not a Discord room with hype plays.

It’s a structured platform that funds proven traders, and gives them the capital, tools, and environment to perform.
We don’t tell you what to trade. We empower you to trade your system — with discipline.