June 2, 2026
A Hammer Without Location Is Just a Shape
Traders often celebrate the hammer as if the shape alone authored a turn. In practice, the hammer is a hypothesis about rejection at a place that already mattered. Mid-range hammers after noise often mean little; hammers against a defended session low or a prior swing invite a different level of attention.
A useful habit in our Pattern Lab is to tag every notable candle with location first: extreme, mid-structure, or climax after a run. Only then do we discuss body size and wick length. The order prevents the eye from falling in love with a silhouette.
None of this requires exotic overlays. It requires patience with incomplete bars and a willingness to wait for the next print when the location does not justify a plan change.