What is the Bat pattern? Origin and shape

Carney introduced the Bat in 2001 and made the 0.886 retracement of XA its defining ratio. Like the Gartley, it completes inside X, but it is deeper: price runs much closer to the start of the move before the expected reversal.

A bullish Bat ends with a decline into D and looks like an M with a shallow middle; a bearish Bat is the mirror image and looks like a W. The drawing at the top of this page shows a bullish Bat with every point priced. If the XABCD notation is new to you, read the harmonic patterns overview first.

0.886 retracement
The square root of 0.786, itself the square root of 0.618. In the Bat, D completes at 88.6% of XA, close to X.
BC projection
The length of CD measured as a multiple of BC. The Bat needs at least 1.618, typically 1.618–2.618.
Extended AB=CD
An AB=CD in which CD is longer than AB. In the Bat, CD is usually 1.27 times AB.
Alternate Bat
A variant Carney dates to 2003, with B at 0.382 of XA or less and D beyond X at 1.13 of XA.

Bat pattern rules: the ratios

The commonly published rules, from Carney’s work. TradingView’s help page lists the same core numbers: B at 0.382–0.50 of XA, C at 0.382–0.886 of AB and CD at 1.618–2.618 of BC.

  • B retraces less than 0.618 of XA, ideally 0.382–0.50; Carney calls 0.50 the most ideal.
  • C retraces 0.382–0.886 of AB.
  • D completes at 0.886 of XA, the defining level of the PRZ.
  • The BC projection is at least 1.618, up to 2.618; Carney rates 1.618 or 2.0 the most ideal and treats a 1.27 projection as invalid for a Bat.
  • The AB=CD is extended: CD is usually 1.27 times AB and at minimum equal to AB. The AB=CD guide explains the extensions.

The Alternate Bat: D at 1.13 of XA

Carney later added a variant he dates to 2003, the Alternate Bat. Its B is shallower, at 0.382 of XA or less, and D runs beyond X to 1.13 of XA. The BC projection is at least 2.0, and the AB=CD is usually extended to 1.618.

Because D sits beyond X by design, the rule “stop beyond X” no longer works. The stop goes beyond the PRZ instead, and the pattern needs a tight cluster near 1.13 to be worth trading. Patterns whose D runs even further, to 1.27 or 1.618 of XA, belong to the Butterfly and the Crab.

Turn your phone sideways to read the image. Tap to close.

Two bullish shapes side by side, each with a dashed line at X: the Bat, with B at 0.382–0.50 of XA and D at 0.886 of XA just above X (stop beyond X), and the Alternate Bat, with B at 0.382 or less and D at 1.13 of XA below X (stop beyond the PRZ).

How to build the Bat PRZ

Collect independent measurements of D and look for a tight cluster: the 0.886 XA level, the 1.27 AB=CD and a BC projection within 1.618–2.618. Using the hypothetical pattern from the top drawing (X 100.00, A 120.00, B 110.00, C 115.00): XA = 20.00, AB = 10.00 (0.50 of XA) and BC = 5.00 (0.50 of AB).

  • 0.886 XA: 120.00 − 0.886 × 20.00 = 120.00 − 17.72 = 102.28.
  • 1.27 AB=CD: 115.00 − 1.27 × 10.00 = 115.00 − 12.70 = 102.30.
  • 2.618 BC: 115.00 − 2.618 × 5.00 = 115.00 − 13.09 = 101.91.
  • Smaller projections sit higher: 2.24 BC at 103.80, AB=CD and 2.0 BC at 105.00, and 1.618 BC at 106.91. Price should at least reach 105.00, where CD equals AB.
  • PRZ: 101.91 to 102.30, where three measurements agree, with X at 100.00 only 1.91 below the bottom of the zone.

Turn your phone sideways to read the image. Tap to close.

A price ladder for the hypothetical Bat: 1.618 BC at 106.91, AB=CD and 2.0 BC at 105.00, 2.24 BC at 103.80, then 1.27 AB=CD at 102.30, 0.886 XA at 102.28 and 2.618 BC at 101.91 inside the yellow PRZ, with X at 100.00 and the stop at 99.40 below it.

Why the Bat’s stop beyond X is tight

In a Gartley, D sits 0.214 of XA above X (1 − 0.786); in a Bat, only 0.114 of XA (1 − 0.886). In both, the stop belongs just beyond X, because trading through X breaks the pattern. So for the same XA leg, the Bat’s stop is roughly half as far from D, while its targets, measured on the longer AD leg, sit a little farther away.

The drawing below trades the same 100.00-to-120.00 XA leg both ways. Gartley: entry 104.90, stop 99.70, 1R = 5.20, targets worth about 1.0R and 1.7R. Bat: entry 102.90, stop 99.40, 1R = 3.50, targets worth about 1.7R and 2.9R. A better ratio on paper is not a better chance of success: the closer the stop sits to the noise around X, the more often an ordinary swing can reach it. Size every trade from the stop, as the position size calculator shows, and compare outcomes with the risk-reward ratio.

Turn your phone sideways to read the image. Tap to close.

The same 100.00-to-120.00 XA leg traded as a Gartley and as a Bat. The Gartley enters at 104.90 with a stop at 99.70 (1R = 5.20), so its targets at 110.24 and 113.96 pay about 1.0R and 1.7R. The Bat enters at 102.90 with a stop at 99.40 (1R = 3.50), so its targets at 108.88 and 113.12 pay about 1.7R and 2.9R.

Worked example: a bullish Bat trade, step by step

The hypothetical pattern from the top drawing, on a 1-hour chart, with the plan written before price reaches the PRZ. Confirmation means a candle that closes back out of the zone, such as a hammer or a bullish engulfing candle. Some traders also want momentum to slow into D, for example a bullish RSI divergence.

If price instead closes below 99.40, the trade loses about $250, the amount fixed before the entry, and the Bat no longer exists.

  1. Check B: AB = 10.00, which is 0.50 of XA (20.00), inside 0.382–0.50.
  2. Check C: BC = 5.00, which is 0.50 of AB, inside 0.382–0.886.
  3. Plan: PRZ 101.91–102.30, invalidation below X at 100.00.
  4. Price falls into the zone, prints a low of 102.00, and a 1-hour candle closes back up at 102.90. Entry: 102.90.
  5. Stop just beyond X with a buffer: 99.40. Risk: 102.90 − 99.40 = 3.50 per share.
  6. Targets on AD from the actual low: AD = 120.00 − 102.00 = 18.00. Target 1 = 102.00 + 0.382 × 18.00 = 108.88 (about 1.7R). Target 2 = 102.00 + 0.618 × 18.00 = 113.12 (about 2.9R).
  7. Size: risking 1% of a $25,000 account is $250, and $250 ÷ 3.50 = 71 shares.

How to draw the Bat on TradingView

Use the same XABCD Pattern tool as for the Gartley, in the Patterns group of the drawing toolbar on the left of the chart; the Gartley guide walks through the clicks. You place every point yourself, and the tool labels its connectors with ratios. For a Bat, focus on these readings:

  1. B against XA: it should read 0.382–0.50. A reading near 0.618 means you are looking at a Gartley.
  2. D against XA: place D at 0.886, and confirm the level with the Fib Retracement tool drawn from X to A.
  3. CD against BC: it should read 1.618–2.618. In the example, 12.72 ÷ 5.00 = 2.54 with D at 102.28.
  4. Mark the PRZ edges, X and your stop with horizontal lines, and set an alert at the top of the zone; see TradingView alerts.

Common Bat mistakes, and when the pattern fails

The Bat fails when price keeps going through the PRZ and beyond X. Because the zone sits so close to X, the distance between a valid Bat and a failed one is short, and the stop gets tested quickly. These mistakes are avoidable:

  • Calling it a Bat when B is at 0.618 or deeper.
  • Accepting a 1.27 BC projection, which Carney treats as invalid for the Bat.
  • Buying the 0.886 level blindly; in a fast decline, price can run straight through X.
  • Setting the stop exactly at X, where many other stops cluster; leave a buffer based on the average true range.
  • Mistaking an Alternate Bat or a Crab for a Bat when price is already beyond X.
  • Ignoring news and the higher-timeframe trend; see multi-timeframe analysis.
  • Judging the pattern on a few trades. Track many examples in a trading journal and work out your expectancy.

Bat vs Gartley: the key differences

Both patterns complete inside X and both use a stop beyond X. The differences are about depth and length, summed up below. For confirming a PRZ and managing the trade, see the PRZ trading guide.

  • B: Gartley 0.618 of XA; Bat 0.382–0.50.
  • D: Gartley 0.786 of XA; Bat 0.886.
  • BC projection: Gartley 1.272–1.618; Bat 1.618–2.618.
  • AB=CD: Gartley about equal; Bat usually extended to 1.27.
  • Risk: the Bat’s D sits closer to X, so its stop is tighter for the same XA leg.