A measured move assumes that markets often move in repeating legs of similar size. After an impulse, price pauses and then travels roughly the same distance again.
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You see this logic inside other patterns. The flag target uses the pole's length. The double top target uses the height of the pattern. Triangles use the width. All are variations of measured moves.
It is an approximation, not a law. Markets sometimes stop short, extend beyond, or reverse entirely. A target gained from a measurement still needs a sanity check against structure: is there a major level in the way?
Its main strength is discipline. By projecting a target before entering, you can calculate risk-to-reward in advance and skip trades where the numbers do not work. If the stop is 30 pips and the measured target only 35, the trade may not be worth taking.
A common refinement is to take partial profit at the measured target and manage the remainder with a trailing stop.
Beware of asymmetry in different conditions. Volatility changes can make a second leg longer or shorter.
Practical step: find ten trend legs on your chart and check how often the second leg came within 20 percent of the first.
