I recently published a deep-dive post on second legs — Everything Can Get a Second Leg. Even a Second Leg! While writing it, I went back to Al Brooks’ books and took detailed notes on every second leg concept I could find.
Then I did something simple: I took those notes and reviewed my prior months trades through that lens.
Not to tear them apart. Not to grade myself. Just to re-observe the same trades from a different angle. How many of my trades did second leg concepts cover? Where did they show up? Did I recognise them at the time?
This kind of review — using a concept as a lens to look at your own trades — isn’t something I’ve come across in any trading course or book. But I’ve found it useful, and I think it might help you too. Here’s what the exercise looked like.
The Process
This isn’t complicated. It’s three steps:
- Read the theory. Pick a concept. Go back to the source material — Al Brooks’ books, your own blog posts, your notes. Read slowly. Take notes on anything that sparks a thought.
- Find chart examples. This is the step from the second legs post. You look at charts and identify where these concepts show up. This builds your visual library.
- Review your own trades through that lens. Go through your recent trades and ask: Where did this concept appear? Did I recognise it at the time? Did it affect my entry, exit, or sizing? How could improving my understanding implementation of this technique have impacted my trade?
That’s it. The magic — and I use that word loosely, because there is no magic — is that you’re not judging your trades. You’re re-observing them. The same trade looks completely different when you view it through a measured move lens versus a second leg lens versus a trend-channel lens.
What I Found: March 2026 Trade Review
I went through my March trades and tagged every instance where a second leg concept was relevant. Here’s what showed up, ranked by how often it appeared.
A couple of things to note: these numbers are not wins and losses. They’re how many trades each concept covered. And a single trade can appear in more than one category — if I entered before the MM target on a trade where I also didn’t classify the setup, that trade gets tagged in both. This is about how often the concept was relevant, nothing more.
Re-Entry Caught by the Second Reversal — 18 trades
This was my most frequent pattern by a mile. Here’s what kept happening: I’d take a trade, it would work, I’d exit on a pullback, then re-enter using a limit order in the pullback — and the second reversal would trigger.
18 times in one month that sequence showed up.
The question this raises is: when has the pullback become a reversal? My re-entry process needs a filter for when the probability has shifted. That’s the question I’m taking into March.
Entering Before the Measured Move Target — 11 trades
I found 11 trades where I entered a reversal before the opposing side had reached their measured move (MM) target. If the bulls haven’t got their MM yet, the move might not be done — so that’s useful context.
Now, the market doesn’t always reach the MM target. Sometimes the reversal starts early. But having this as a concept to check — “has the other side got their measured move yet?” — adds a layer to the entry decision. Even when the answer is “no, but I’m still taking the trade,” I now have that awareness.
Trend or Counter-Trend? First or Second Attempt? — 8 trades
Eight trades where the setup could be classified as trend or counter-trend, and as a first or second attempt at a reversal.
This matters because second attempts have a significantly higher probability than first attempts. Al Brooks talks about this extensively. Knowing which attempt I’m on, and whether I’m with or against the trend, changes how I think about the trade — and how I size it.
Trades Before the First Reversal — 7 trades
How many trades am I taking in the opening sequence before the first real reversal prints? Seven trades fell into this window. The first reversal is the market’s way of saying “OK, now we know where the boundaries are.” It’s worth observing how active I’m being before that signal arrives.
Exit Before the First Reversal — 6 trades
Six trades where the question “did I exit before the first counter-move?” was relevant. This is the flip side of the previous point — once you’re in a trade that’s working, the first natural counter-move is a key moment. Where was I relative to it?
Reverse on a Failed Second Attempt — 5 trades
When the second attempt at something fails, that’s not just a scratch — it’s a signal. A failed second attempt often means the opposite side is about to take control. Five trades where this pattern showed up. Something to watch for.
This is one of the core ideas from the second legs post: a failed second leg is one of the most reliable reversal signals in price action.
Sizing Inverted — 4 trades
Four trades where I was heavier in the reversal and lighter after the breakout confirmed. This is interesting from a psychology angle — the reversal feels exciting, the breakout pullback feels routine. But the probabilities are often the other way around.
Strong First Leg → Expect a Smaller Second Leg — 3 trades
Three instances where a strong first leg was followed by a second leg that was smaller and slower. I took the trade — good — but I needed to size my expectations accordingly. A monster first leg doesn’t mean you’ll get a monster second leg. Often it’s the opposite.
Swing Point vs Continuation Entry — 3 trades
Three times I used a swing entry when I should have been looking for the continuation entry instead. These are subtly different setups with different risk profiles.
The Scoreboard
Here’s the full summary. I’m sharing the actual numbers because I think it’s useful to see what a real month looks like:
| Focus Area | Trades | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Re-entry caught by second reversal | 18 | Exit Management |
| Entering before measured move target | 11 | Entry Timing |
| Trend/counter-trend classification | 8 | Entry Timing |
| Trades before first reversal | 7 | Trade Frequency |
| Exit before first reversal | 6 | Exit Management |
| Reverse on failed second attempt | 5 | Second Leg Behaviour |
| Sizing inverted | 4 | Position Sizing |
| Strong first leg → smaller second leg | 3 | Second Leg Behaviour |
| Swing point vs continuation entry | 3 | Entry Timing |
Total observations: 65 across 9 categories. (Remember, a single trade can appear in multiple categories.)
These aren’t 65 problems. They’re 65 moments where a second leg concept was relevant to what I did. Some were things I’d do differently. Some were good trades that I now understand better. Some were neutral — the concept was there but didn’t change anything.
This is about me building awareness, not trying to keep score.
What I’m Watching in April
The review gave me clear priorities for the next four weeks:
Priority 1: Re-entry filter. 18 trades is the highest frequency item. I want a checklist question for when a pullback re-entry is still valid versus when the pullback has become a reversal.
Priority 2: Check the measured move before fading. Before entering any reversal, ask: “Has the other side reached their MM target?” Just adding the question to my process.
Priority 3: Classify every setup. Trend or counter-trend? First attempt or second? Note it down before entering.
These three things cover 37 of the 65 observations. If I can sharpen my awareness in these areas, the rest will follow.
How to Do This Yourself
You don’t have to follow my trading style and use second legs. Pick any concept you’ve been studying / trading:
- Go back to the source material. Read Al Brooks’ chapter on your topic. Read your own notes. Read blog posts. Take fresh notes on anything that catches your eye.
- Review your last month of trades. Go through each one and ask: “Where does this concept show up?” Tag it. Count it. Don’t judge — just observe.
- Rank by frequency. Which pattern appeared most often? That’s your focus for the next month.
- Pick your top 3. You can’t fix everything at once. Choose the three highest-frequency items and make them your daily awareness focus.
- Review again next month. Did the frequencies change? Did new patterns emerge? This is how deliberate practice works — you keep looking from different angles.
The skill here isn’t analysis. It’s re-observation. The same trade can teach you 10 different lessons depending on which lens you’re looking through. Most traders look once, label it “win” or “loss,” and move on. This exercise asks you to look again — and again — and find something new each time.
Conclusion
I wrote the second legs post to teach a concept. But the real value — for me — came when I used that concept to review my own trades. That’s the part nobody teaches.
Next month I’ll do this again with a different concept. Maybe measured moves. Maybe trading ranges. The concept doesn’t matter as much as the process.
Try it with your own trades. You might be surprised what you find.
Happy trading!
Tim
Zen Trading Tech
Zen Trading Tech 
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