maybe big money is seeing something WVAP or MACD and doing something but it is the footprint or result of that action that is can be seen and traded. you do not need to see the reasons why someone is doing something: only the result and the result is price action. price action is the question and answer
anything you do is useless if you cannot discern the destination or result of your labor. in trading it is discerned, not by whether it is double top or the second leg or a doji but it is decided by probability. trading is math.
You should've bought below the Big red bar (3 bars after 12:00). This was a long trade because you want to catch the reversal up after it breaks from a sideways period. When that reversal was weakening/not happening, Take profit/short on the weak momentum you were getting for a 2nd leg down.
WHAT? Are you copying me.. it makes the best sense. it tests both extremes more than once so it is the most certain that you will get the target. highest probability low reward
another strategy is wait for a trendline break of a move and then take the first signal to enter in the direction of the move . if the move is strong, then the break of a trendline, may be a pb [confirmed when it ends] and so a with trend signal, means the end of that pb.
When a trader "tries to avoid chop", he misses many opportunities. When a trader "tries to trade chop", he likely takes too many losses (hopefully small ones)... and because of that also likely to miss opportunities. Bottom Line... When chop is identified, (1) either stand aside until chop resolves, or (2) only fade the bottoms/tops of the range... as for anything in the middle of the range, fuggetaboutit. Then be ready to follow the breakout. KISS, baby!