Lesson 34 of 69
Spinning Top and Marubozu
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These two sit at opposite ends of the conviction scale. One says nobody was in control; the other says one side was in control from the first tick to the last.
Spinning Top
Spinning Top
Spinning Top in context — interactive mini chart
- Pattern: Spinning Top forms after the move into it
- Entry: Sell only once a candle closes below the pattern low
- Stop: Invalidation sits above the pattern high
Simulated price action for illustration — switch timeframes to see how the same pattern reads at different scales.
- Definition: a small body roughly in the middle of the range, with visible on both sides. Colour barely matters.
- Psychology: a genuine fight. Both sides swung price around and neither finished with an advantage.
- Where it forms: very often at the end of a strong move, inside consolidations, and before scheduled news.
- What usually happens next: a of the pause, or a break in the direction of whichever side takes the range out first. Trading inside spinning tops is how beginners get chopped up.
Marubozu
Marubozu in context — interactive mini chart
- Pattern: Marubozu forms after the move into it
- Entry: Sell only once a candle closes below the pattern low
- Stop: Invalidation sits above the pattern high
Simulated price action for illustration — switch timeframes to see how the same pattern reads at different scales.
- Definition: a full body with no wicks (or almost none). A marubozu opens at the low and closes at the high; a one opens at the high and closes at the low.
- Psychology: one-sided control for the entire period. There was no meaningful pullback for the other side to defend.
- Where it forms: on breakouts, on news releases, and at the start of strong impulsive legs.
- What usually happens next: continuation is the base case — candles tend to be followed by more momentum. Chasing the is still dangerous; price often retests the middle of the marubozu first.
Tip
A marubozu is not a signal — it is a strength signal. Use it to judge who owns the current move, and use the pullback into its body as a lower-risk entry rather than buying the extreme.
Key takeaways
- A spinning top has a small body with wicks both sides — balance.
- A marubozu is a full body with little or no wick — total control.
- A marubozu breaking a level is strong evidence of momentum.
- Both are context clues rather than standalone trade signals.
Knowledge check
3 quick questions — your best score is saved to your progress.
1. What does a marubozu show?
2. A spinning top is characterised by…
3. How can a marubozu be used practically?
Progress is saved on this device.
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