I think it can work both ways to be honest. I have made a tidy profit from daily trading, moving back and forth between coins, picking the right moments. I've increased my overall bitcoin holdings substantially by doing this. If I had just HODL, then I wouldn't have half of the amount I now have, and would therefore be hoping for an even bigger spike in price in order to maximise my return.
If you can remain emotionless, and know how to manipulate the market to a degree when you are buying and selling, you can turn a tidy profit by doing so. So it is not all about HODL in one coin all the time, but sometimes the trading of coins that can really maximise your return.