Free lessons › Key Levels & Market Structure › Foundations of Structure
Swing highs & swing lows
Reading micro-structure on the 1m, 5m, and 1h.
9 min · Beginner
What you'll learn
- Identify swing highs and swing lows with a consistent rule
- Label structure as higher highs and higher lows, lower highs and lower lows, or a range
- Use the 1h for bias, the 5m for setups and the 1m for timing
Key takeaways
- A swing high has lower highs on both sides, and a swing low has higher lows on both sides.
- The sequence of swings, not any single one, tells you who is in control.
- Use the 1h for bias, the 5m for setups and the 1m only for timing.
- The last higher low in an uptrend, or last lower high in a downtrend, protects the trend.
Glossary
- Swing high — A candle high with lower highs on both sides, marking a local peak.
- Swing low — A candle low with higher lows on both sides, marking a local valley.
- HH, HL, LH, LL — Higher high, higher low, lower high, lower low, the labels used to read trend structure from swings.
Unlock this lesson
The full lesson, quiz and practice task are included with the Academy plan. Elite includes a 7-day free trial. See plans