Body-to-Wick Marking
The rule defined
Body-to-wick sets the PROXIMAL line at the body edge of the base candle nearest to price (open or close, whichever is nearer to current price). The DISTAL line is set at the wick extreme of the base (lowest wick for demand, highest wick for supply). This creates a zone that is slightly wider than wick-to-wick.
The three steps to mark a demand zone
Step 1: Identify the base candles (indecision cluster before the explosive leg-out). Step 2: Draw the PROXIMAL line at the highest BODY of the base candles. Step 3: Draw the DISTAL line at the lowest WICK of the base candles. Shade the rectangle between them.
Why body-to-wick is the default
Using the body for proximal gives a slightly conservative entry (price must close into the body area, not just touch the wick). Using the wick for distal gives the zone breathing room against spike stop-hunts. Together they reduce false zone breaks while keeping the zone specific.
Consistency is the real value
Body-to-wick vs wick-to-wick is less important than applying the same rule every time. Consistent marking makes historical study comparable — zones marked differently cannot be backtested against each other meaningfully.
Practice checklist
- Step 1: Identify base candles only (exclude leg-in and leg-out)
- Step 2: Proximal = highest BODY of base candles (for demand)
- Step 3: Distal = lowest WICK extreme of base candles (for demand)
- Shade the rectangle between proximal and distal
- Apply this exact rule to every zone in your study
Mistakes to avoid
- Mixing proximal and distal marking methods (body for one, wick for another)
- Forgetting to use only base candles — leg-in and leg-out are excluded
- Making the zone too wide by including candles that aren't part of the base