schiffPitchfork

The Schiff Pitchfork is a variation of the classic pitchfork. Instead of placing the handle (pivot) directly at your chosen swing, it shifts the fork slightly (usually halfway back). This makes the fork lines better aligned with smoother or more gradual trends.

Think of it as a “softer” pitchfork — it can help reduce extreme angles and sometimes gives a more realistic guide of how price is flowing.

Syntax

schiffPitchfork(pivot, left, right, styles?)

Parameters

• pivot: The starting handle of the fork. Build with newPoint(time, price).

• left: First side anchor, sets one tine of the fork.

• right: Second side anchor, sets the other tine.

• styles (optional) Adjust how the fork looks:

  • linecolor: color of the lines (e.g., color.blue)

  • linewidth: line thickness

  • linestyle: solid/dashed/dotted

  • median: style for the median line (you can change color or hide it)

  • extendLines: extend lines into the future

  • fillBackground: optional shaded background

Return Value

• string — A unique drawing id to manage the fork (update or delete later).

Example

This script plots a Schiff Pitchfork every 26 candles, giving you a smoother fork to follow the trend.

//@version=1
init = () => {
    // Place drawings on the price chart
    indicator({ onMainPanel: true, format: 'inherit' });
};

onTick = () => {
    // Every 26 candles, create a Schiff Pitchfork
    if (index % 26 === 0) {
        // Main pivot: 32 candles ago at its low
        const pivot = newPoint(time(32), low(32));

        // Left anchor: 20 candles ago at its high
        const left = newPoint(time(20), high(20));

        // Right anchor: 10 candles ago at its low
        const right = newPoint(time(10), low(10));

        // Draw the Schiff Pitchfork
        // - Blue color
        // - Line thickness: 2
        // - Median line visible
        schiffPitchfork(
            pivot,
            left,
            right,
            { linecolor: color.blue, linewidth: 2 }
        );
    }
};

This gives you a blue Schiff Pitchfork, which looks a bit more balanced compared to the standard pitchfork.

Result

Tips

• Use Schiff Pitchfork when the standard pitchfork looks too steep or unrealistic.

• Great for trending markets where you want smoother guidance.

• Watch how price interacts with the median line — it often works as a magnet.

Warning

• Using pivots that are too close together can make the fork meaningless. Always choose clear swings.

• Don’t mix too many different pitchforks on the same chart — they can overlap and confuse your analysis.

Good Practice

• Reserve Schiff Pitchfork for longer-term swings where the classic pitchfork feels off.

• Keep colors consistent (e.g., blue for Schiff, red for classic) so you can quickly identify them.

• Use extendLines: true if you want the fork to project well into the future for planning.