Hammers at support: rejection or pause?
How we teach traders to separate a hammer that clears sellers from a long lower wick that simply marks another failed bounce.
A hammer near a known support zone can mark the end of a decline — or the start of a deeper slide if buyers never defend the next session.
We look at the wick length relative to the body, the close location, and whether subsequent candles hold above the hammer’s midpoint. Rejection that sticks usually shows quieter follow-through on the retest of the low.
If the next session opens lower and closes back through the hammer body, we treat the print as unfinished business rather than a free long.
In Pattern Desk drills we use unmarked historical examples so participants decide before seeing the outcome. The habit transfers faster than memorising textbook silhouettes.