Trading worksheet for pin bar setups
For anyone that is interested I have made you an excel sheet that can help you identify the best pin bar setups.
When you are thinking of entering a trade based on a pin bar setup, fill in the sheet.
I have filled in the first line with the details of the Usd/Chf trade that was given as an example in the post above.
Explanation of sections:
After the date, market, TF and confirmation of pin bar boxes you have the boxes that DEFINE the pin bar.
If it is a PERFECT pin bar you should be able to say YES to all three of the questions that are asked.
When filling in the swing section, remember that the pin bar should be at a swing high or low. It should have had some momentum coming into it, it should not just drift down into an s/r level.
The S/R pivot level section is to show what levels the pin bar hits. Remember that the higher TF pivot that the market hits, the more likely it is to be significant.
The fib level section is to note which level it hits and on what TF. Ideally you are looking for areas where fib levels from different swings or on different TFs line up.
The EMA section is to see if the pin bar occurs at any EMA you regularly use. As noted earlier in the thread, I use the 10, 21 and 50.
Aside from the entry, the stop and the number of pips risked, I have put the 1st and 2nd problem areas. Each trader should get in the habit of filling these in as it is key to the preparation and planning of the trade.
Finally, always note your results. This will be very informative when you come back to look at your trades. Were your hourly trades more successful than your daily TF trades? Are you exiting trades too early compared to the risk in pips taken? Ad infinitum
Feel free to add any other sections thats you think are neccessary.