The five STS setups

In one sentence

STS has five setups, and each one is a level from Volume Profile plus the same timing, activity and 3 to 1 checks.

Why it matters

Knowing the setups by name helps you spot them fast. It also stops you from inventing new ones in the heat of the moment.

Every setup still needs all the STS steps. The setup only tells you where to look.

Do this

Learn one setup at a time. For each one, the entry is the QPulse cross on the 1st or 2nd candle. The trade must be 3 to 1 or better.

1. POC bounce (buy). Price drops back to the POC and holds. First target: the value area high. Skip it on strong trend days.
2. Demand zone bounce (buy). Price drops hard into a demand zone and turns up. This is Sage's strongest setup when QPulse was deep below zero first. First target: the POC.
3. Supply zone rejection (sell). The mirror of setup 2. Price rises into a supply zone and turns down. First target: the POC. Best when the 15-minute chart is going down or turning.
4. VAL bounce (buy). Price dips to the value area low and holds. Target: the POC, or the value area high. Common on calm, sideways days.
5. Naked POC pull (buy or sell). Price moves toward an old POC it has not revisited yet. The target is that old POC.

Real example

This teaching diagram shows why a level must come before the timing signal. It is not a real trade.

Common mistakes

• Calling any bounce a setup. It must happen at one of these levels.
• Taking a bounce setup on a strong trend day. On those days, levels in the middle often do not hold.
• Forgetting the checks. A setup with dead Flow Pro or a 2 to 1 target is still a pass.