A popular habit in trendline work is to wait for three touches, then treat the line as settled. In class we still count touches — but we also ask what happened after each one.
Touches without reaction
If price kisses a candidate line and immediately continues through with wide ranges, that contact is a poor building block. Prefer touches that produce a pause, a narrower bar, or a clear rejection candle before adding the point to your set.
Swing definition first
Without an agreed swing high or low, “touch” becomes subjective. We mark swings with a simple two-bar (or three-bar) rule stated before the pencil moves. Only then do we attempt the line.
Channels inherit the same problem
A parallel channel built from soft touches will look orderly and still fail on the next session. If the primary trendline is shaky, do not force rails — leave the chart with a single line until a cleaner swing appears.
Classroom drill
On shared charts we often hide the rightmost third of the history, place a line with two solid reactions, then reveal price and score whether the third contact behaved like a test or a break. The scorekeeping keeps the conversation honest.