Support and Resistance Explained: How to Draw Levels Like a Pro (Timeframes, Wicks vs Bodies)

by Prodigy Team

Support and Resistance Explained: How to Draw Levels Like a Pro (Timeframes, Wicks vs Bodies)

Support and resistance is one of the most powerful concepts in trading — and also one of the most misunderstood. Most traders don’t fail because they “don’t know S/R”… they fail because they draw 20 random lines on the 1-minute chart and wonder why price ignores them.

In this lesson, you’ll learn a clean, repeatable way to mark support and resistance using a Macro → Micro approach so it actually becomes tradable. We’ll cover: which timeframe to use, wick vs body, zone vs line, how to choose the right levels, and how to combine S/R with strategies like pullbacks, breakouts, volume confirmation, and ICT/liquidity concepts.

What Support & Resistance Actually Is (In One Sentence)

Support is an area where buying previously overwhelmed selling. Resistance is an area where selling previously overwhelmed buying.

Important: it’s usually an area (zone), not a perfect single price line. Markets are auction environments — price often probes slightly above/below levels before deciding direction.

Why Traders Get Confused: “Which Timeframe Do I Draw It On?”

Here’s the truth that instantly clears the confusion:

Higher timeframes control the story. Lower timeframes show the tactics.

If you draw levels on the 1-minute chart only, you’re drawing the “noise.” You’ll get endless levels and endless fakeouts. Instead, use this hierarchy:

  • Daily: Major decision zones (big-picture supply/demand). Best for swing trading and for “walls” day traders must respect.
  • 4H / 1H: Tradeable structure levels (clean pivots, trend structure). Best for day + swing alignment.
  • 15m / 5m: Execution levels and entries (fine-tune risk and find triggers).
  • 1m: Only for precision timing (optional). Never for finding major levels.

If you want one rule to follow forever:

Draw levels from the top down (Daily → 4H → 1H), then execute on 15m/5m.

Macro → Micro: The Pro Way to Mark Levels

Step 1: Start With the Daily (Macro Zones)

On the Daily chart, you’re NOT trying to find every bounce. You’re looking for the levels that matter to everyone:

  • Previous major swing high / swing low
  • Big trend pivot points (where trend changed or accelerated)
  • Major consolidation ranges (base areas)

How to visualize it: Imagine price is walking through a building. The Daily levels are the “doors” between rooms. Price might roam inside a room (intraday noise), but the doorways determine where it can go next.

Step 2: Refine on 4H / 1H (Tradable Structure)

Now zoom into 4H/1H and look for clean “reaction pivots” inside the Daily zones:

  • Two or more strong reactions from a similar area
  • Clear rejection candles or impulsive moves away from the zone
  • Break-and-retest behavior (support becomes resistance, resistance becomes support)

This is where most day-trading levels should come from — clean, repeatable structure.

Step 3: Execute on 15m / 5m (Micro Triggers)

Once you have Macro zones + Structure levels, the 15m/5m is where you decide:

  • Where do I enter?
  • Where am I wrong?
  • Where is my first target?

This is where you look for triggers like:

  • Reversal candles (hammer / shooting star / engulfing / strong closes)
  • Volume behavior (volume confirms breakout or dries up on pullback)
  • Micro structure shift (lower high → break down, or higher low → break up)

Wicks vs Bodies: Where Do You Draw the Level?

This is the question every trader asks — and the answer is: Use both, but for different purposes.

Use Wicks To Map “Extremes” (Rejection + Stop Runs)

Wicks show where price was rejected — often where stops were run or liquidity was taken. Wicks are especially important around:

  • Major highs/lows
  • News spikes
  • Stop runs / fakeouts

If you speak ICT language: wicks often mark where liquidity was grabbed before the real move.

Use Candle Bodies / Closes To Confirm “Acceptance”

Candle bodies (and especially closes) show where the market actually accepted price. A common pro approach is:

  • Wick = “probe” (test)
  • Close = “decision” (acceptance)

The Best Practical Method: Draw Zones

Instead of arguing “wick or body,” draw a zone:

  • Top of zone near wick extremes (rejection/liquidity)
  • Middle of zone near repeated closes (acceptance)

How to visualize: If multiple candles have wicks poking a level but most bodies close slightly below it, your zone is the whole region where price fought — not a single magical price.

Should You Draw the “Median Line” of Wicks and Bodies?

Sometimes traders notice price “respects” a middle line. What’s happening is simple:

When price repeatedly rejects a range, the “median” becomes the equilibrium (fair value). Price often oscillates around it until a real breakout occurs.

But here’s the rule:

  • Use the median line as a guide (equilibrium / balance)
  • Use the zone edges for entries and stops (where invalidation happens)

Which Support/Resistance Levels Matter Most?

Use this simple ranking system:

  1. Daily swing highs/lows (macro walls)
  2. Previous day high/low (intraday magnets)
  3. 4H/1H structure pivots (tradeable levels)
  4. Round numbers (psychology)

How To Trade Support & Resistance (Strategies That Actually Work)

Strategy 1: Support Pullback in an Uptrend

  • Daily/4H trend is up
  • Price pulls back into a 4H/1H support zone
  • 15m/5m shows slowing selling + a reversal candle
  • Entry triggers on reclaim/structure shift
  • Stop goes below the support zone (not inside it)

To go deeper on pullbacks, pair this with: Pullback Trading Strategy (EMA, VWAP, Volume) and Why Pullbacks Fail (Fake Dips & Trend Traps) .

Strategy 2: Breakout + Retest (Resistance Becomes Support)

  • Price consolidates under resistance
  • Breakout candle closes above resistance (acceptance)
  • Price retests the broken level
  • Entry on confirmation (reversal candle or reclaim)
  • Stop below the retest zone

To avoid fakeouts, also read: How to Avoid Fake Breakouts .

Strategy 3: Stop Loss Placement Using S/R Zones

The #1 way traders get chopped up is placing stops “inside” noise. A structure-based stop belongs:

  • Below support zone for longs
  • Above resistance zone for shorts

This ties directly into our stop-loss lesson: Stop Loss Strategy (Percent vs Structure)

Strategy 4: ICT/Smart Money Angle (Liquidity Sweeps at Key Levels)

Many “fake breakouts” are simply liquidity sweeps around obvious S/R. Price runs stops above highs or below lows, then reverses. If you trade ICT concepts, this is where S/R becomes even more powerful.

Pair with: ICT Trading Strategies (Liquidity, FVG, MSS) and Fair Value Gap (FVG) Trading Guide .

The “Clean Chart” Rules (So You Don’t Overdraw Levels)

  • Limit yourself: 3–5 major levels from Daily/4H
  • Use zones: zones outperform thin lines
  • Top-down always: higher timeframe overrides lower timeframe
  • Trade reactions, not lines: wait for acceptance/rejection
  • Stops belong at invalidation: beyond the zone, not inside it

Want These Levels Marked Live?

If you want help marking clean support/resistance zones and seeing how we use them with pullbacks, breakouts, volume, and ICT-style liquidity, join our community:

👉 Enter the Prodigy Trading Team Discord

If you’re ready for structured education, real-time guidance, and our Gold resources:

🚀 Join Prodigy Trading Team Gold

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: All information is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Trading involves risk, and you should always do your own due diligence and use proper risk management on any trade ideas or strategies discussed.

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