John Carter: Mastering the Trade and the TTM Squeeze
Carter popularised the squeeze: trading the moment when compressed volatility is released.
Trade a real day like John Carter
A real market day with the date hidden. Run the checklist on the chart, then buy, sell or stay out: the real candles answer.
Check every point of the list before you decide. Stay out if the setup is not there.
Who they were
John F. Carter is an American trader and the founder of Simpler Trading. He started trading in the late 1980s.
His book "Mastering the Trade" (2005) describes his intraday and swing setups, including the TTM Squeeze, and the routines around them.
Principles and rules
1. Volatility cycles
Quiet periods are followed by active ones; the squeeze marks the quiet.
2. Trade the release
Enter when volatility starts expanding, in the direction of momentum.
3. Plan before the open
Decide levels and scenarios before the session.
4. Know your setups
Trade a small number of setups you understand deeply.
Key lessons
- Compression is information.
- Momentum picks the direction of the release.
- A written plan beats intuition under pressure.
Strategies from this method
How to practise it
The TTM Squeeze strategy page has the rules. In Candlemind combine Bollinger Bands with the ATR bands template from My indicators.
Frequently asked questions
What is the TTM Squeeze?
An indicator that flags when Bollinger Bands move inside Keltner Channels, and a setup that trades the release.
What does TTM stand for?
Trade the Markets, the name of Carter's earlier company.
Summaries and paraphrases of public books and interviews, for education. Not investment advice.