Quote from JoshDance:
Amen Zr -- "core principles with price and volume" ...
I can picture your LPS and LPD, but a visual would be great.
Reversal bars ("hammers with long tails") are my favorite thing to trade -- but as you say, the context must be there or they are great for luring in suckers. What type of conditions do you look for when trading these, besides volume? I like to look for them at predefined s/r levels, VWAP, etc., or after a second push at a high or low, preferably on lower volume than the exhaustive volume on the first push.
You can see "LPS" labeled on the right of the chart. this is an example , Usually a break above a level then return to level where resistance then becomes support is a nice setup for me personally.
As far as bullish hammer pre conditions. I follow some strict rules,
Here's a little bit to show you how detailed of a practice hammer trading really is for me personally. On top of these rules there are more that are left out this is only a piece of the whole puzzle in my hammer trading.
Reversal Signal
* Body should be Greater than Upper Shadow
* Low of white hammer Less than lows of the prior 3 bars.
* Long Lower Shadow Greater than length of the lower shadows of prior 3 bars.
* Long Lower Shadow Greater than bodies of 3 prior intervals
* IF 3 prior consecutive red bars then, Close of the Hammer Greater than Open of the prior bar
* If one of previous 3 candles is a Red WRB then the Lower shadow of the hammer must be longer than the bodies of the 3 candles prior to the WRB
Continuation Signal:
* Must be 3 candles between most recent green WRB and White Hammer.
* 3 previous bars must have @ least one Dark Low Above the Open of the Hammer.
* IF 3 prior consecutive red bars , then Close of Hammer must be Above Open of most recent dark line
Maybe my detailed rules for hammers don't really add any value to the "simplicity in TA" topic but generally the info provided in the long tails tells you a lot if you're looking for a more simple route.