Quote from Cheese:
The money lies in the gyrations. Now the aim: it is to make yourself rich (it is not to show off, knocking off a few profits here and there). For professional use of markets, forget 'trend' talk and other vague populist cults in trading. Go to where the money is. You have to utilize a market open to close. You buy the upswings and sell the downswings sequentially.
If you take CL on Friday (September 5 2008) the sequence for the session's gyrations (up/down repeating 10.00 to 14.30) produced 10 macro 'legs' of minimum 45 points (ie cents). The mean average of those 10 'legs' was 102 points per 'leg'. Therefore thats some 1000 points which were on offer. This is money big time.
Discipline, dedication and applying an accurate methodology are assumed. That methodology can utilize indicators applied to charts of the necessary configurations.
Cheese,
I see price movement that way too. There is just a series of gyrations, cycles, oscillations, etc. from open to close. And of course, cycles within cycles. Some of the cyclical gyrations line up with Diagonal lines, S/R lines, Fib numbers, or moon cycles, or tides. Some don't coincide.
The ultimate goal is to successfully trade as many oscillations as you can during the day.
If you look at a chart (5 min ES for example) that has the S/R lines drawn on it, there are market turning points that coincide with the S/R lines; however, there are many turning points and whole ocillations that don't line up with S/R lines. I want to trade those moves as well.
I am not criticizing anyone's methods. IMO, there are many ways to trade. Find one that makes sense to you and works for you (read as; find a method that harmonizes with your unique mix of CNS neurotransmitters, personality traits, right brain/left brain dominance/interaction, and neuro-optical functioning.)
In addition, some individuals find that any system works (even throwing darts) as long as it is used with excellent money mangement.
Apparently, S/R 'works' very well for some folks. Interesting discussion...thanks to all.