Hello everyone,

I've been actively learning and backtesting a directional intraday strategy on the ES. I come from an options background and have transitioned into futures trading this year. I'm primarily trading the NY session, targeting 15–50 point moves based on HTF liquidity, London/Asian session levels, and price behavior around them.

My strategy is not scalping-based — it’s focused on trend continuations and reversals, with structure and time-of-day context giving me the directional bias. Entries are confirmed with a few additional price action confluences.

I’ve also been studying order flow tools like DOM, Bookmap, and footprint charts, but I’ve noticed much of that trading seems centered around small intraday scalps. I may be wrong here — and that’s part of why I’m posting.

My questions:

For those of you who combine directional/structure-based frameworks with order flow confirmation, how have you integrated the two?

Would you advise a transition toward a more footprint-driven approach, or is that unnecessary if a higher-timeframe strategy works?

Are there traders here who also target 15–50 pt directional moves and can share how they use volume or order flow without overtrading?

I’m grateful for any insights, and happy to clarify anything further. Appreciate your time!

— M

morristrader 

My questions:

Hi morristrader, and welcome.

It sounds like that you are posting a question about other traders' approach to the markets, rather than intending to post your own trades and approach, so I am going to move your thread to Traders Hideout, both to keep the forum organized and to improve your chances for replies.

morristrader 

Hello everyone, I've been actively learning and backtesting a directional intraday strategy on the ES. I come from an options background and have transitioned into futures trading this year. I'm primarily trading the NY session, targeting 15–50 point moves based on HTF liquidity, London/Asian session levels, and price behavior around them. My questions: For those of you who combine directional/structure-based frameworks with order flow confirmation, how have you integrated the two? Would you advise a transition toward a more footprint-driven approach, or is that unnecessary if a higher-timeframe strategy works? Are there traders here who also target 15–50 pt directional moves and can share how they use volume or order flow without overtrading? I’m grateful for any insights, and happy to clarify anything further. Appreciate your time! — M

Hey Morristrader,

The questions you've raise are good questions but you are the only one who can answer it. The reason i'm saying that market is versatile. This is why there are many companies that trying to sell you a charting tools with a strategy and framework. And you may be surprised but all of them are working. it is all about how much time and effort you want to put into it.

You are the one who needs to make a decision what you are going to use. It should fit your personality. At the end of the day it should make perfect sense to you. Some ppl can't watch the DOM it is too complicated for them some can't seat and wait for a trade set up on a higher timeframe.

The only advise is there if you choose something would it be footprint or something else you must understand it to the bone and be comfortable with it. You need to understand when to click the buy, under what conditions. I keep bringing one example. Simple MA strategy, many struggled with it but one guy on this forum pass Evaluation account by using this strategy.

It seems that you are just started to testing waters. Having disadvantage with a location, I've been watching ES and trying to trade it during London session for quite sometime. The 15 points is a bit unrealistic. In a last week or so yes market moves around that amount. You may be lucky if you hit couple of trades with 10+ ticks during that time.

You check some journals in this forum there are many ppl struggling with the OVERTRADING issue. The only way for you not to over trade is practice one single trade over and over. You must learn to master one single trade that will give you profit. Once you master one you move to the second. Simple right ?? but it is hard it requires seating on your hands and watching. You brain will be running with a thoughts OHHHH look how much money you could've made.

In my humble opinion you will be better off trading FGBL product then ES during London session.
It is long journey some ppl were doing for 10+ years and still haven't succeeded in it, So don't forget to have fun and enjoyment.

Go to AXIA Futures channel you will find plenty of answers there. it is a good example as well that each trader to it is own but they have one thing in common. They mastered that One Trade that brings them Bread and Butter on the table

Hey tr8d3r,

Thank you very much for your message! I find your response very insightful, and I will take a look at the Axia Futures channel and likely study some of their playlists to gain a deeper understanding. Thanks again!

morristrader 

Hello everyone, I've been actively learning and backtesting a directional intraday strategy on the ES. I come from an options background and have transitioned into futures trading this year. I'm primarily trading the NY session, targeting 15–50 point moves based on HTF liquidity, London/Asian session levels, and price behavior around them. My strategy is not scalping-based — it's focused on trend continuations and reversals, with structure and time-of-day context giving me the directional bias. Entries are confirmed with a few additional price action confluences. I've also been studying order flow tools like DOM, Bookmap, and footprint charts, but I've noticed much of that trading seems centered around small intraday scalps. I may be wrong here — and that's part of why I'm posting. My questions: For those of you who combine directional/structure-based frameworks with order flow confirmation, how have you integrated the two? Would you advise a transition toward a more footprint-driven approach, or is that unnecessary if a higher-timeframe strategy works? Are there traders here who also target 15–50 pt directional moves and can share how they use volume or order flow without overtrading? I'm grateful for any insights, and happy to clarify anything further. Appreciate your time! — M

@morristrader,

Your transition from options to futures puts you in good company - many successful directional traders come from that background because you already understand risk management and market structure concepts. The 15-50 point range you're targeting is actually the sweet spot where order flow and higher timeframe analysis complement each other beautifully.

The Integration Reality
Here's the thing about combining directional structure with order flow: they're not competing methodologies, they're different zoom levels of the same market behavior. Your higher timeframe analysis identifies the "why" - where institutional liquidity sits, where stops cluster, where value areas develop. Order flow shows you the "how" - the execution mechanics when price reaches those levels.

The most effective integration works like this: Use your HTF levels (London/Asian highs and lows, overnight ranges, weekly pivots) as your directional framework, then use order flow to time entries and confirm continuation. For example, when ES approaches a key London session high, watch the DOM for absorption - if you see 500+ contracts being offered at that level but price keeps pushing through, that's institutional accumulation in your direction.

Beyond Scalping: Order Flow for Directional Moves
You're absolutely right that most order flow education focuses on scalping, but that's actually a limitation of the teachers, not the tool. For 15-50 point moves, order flow excels at three specific applications:

**Confluence Confirmation**: When your structure suggests a directional bias and you see footprint charts showing aggressive buying/selling at key levels, that's powerful confirmation. Look for "stacked imbalances" on footprint charts - when multiple price levels show the same directional pressure, it often precedes sustained moves.

**Timing Precision**: Instead of entering blindly at HTF levels, use order flow to see when institutional players are actually stepping in. The first hour (9:30-10:30 EST) often establishes the day's range through this process - you'll see liquidity sweeps above/below overnight levels followed by institutional positioning.

**Trade Management**: This is where order flow really shines for directional traders. Watch for changes in order absorption or delta divergence to adjust position size or take partial profits. When a 30-point ES move starts showing exhaustion on the DOM, that's your signal to lock in gains before the pullback.

Practical Framework for Your Style
Since you're already identifying London/Asian levels and NY session structure, here's how to layer in order flow without overcomplicating:

Start with your HTF bias using weekly/daily charts and key session levels. Then use 5-minute footprint charts during the first 90 minutes of NY session - this is when institutional positioning creates the clearest signals. Look for "signature moves" where price sweeps a key level (like yesterday's high) with heavy volume, then reverses with even heavier volume in the opposite direction.

The key insight: don't use order flow to find trades, use it to confirm and time the trades your structure analysis already identified. When ES is trading at 4,580 and your analysis suggests a move to 4,630, order flow tells you whether to enter aggressively at 4,582 or wait for a pullback to 4,575.

Avoiding the Overtrading Trap
The biggest mistake directional traders make with order flow is getting seduced by every DOM imbalance or footprint pattern. Your 15-50 point targets actually protect you from this - they force you to think in larger time horizons. Set clear rules: only use order flow signals that align with your HTF directional bias, and only during the first 2-3 hours when institutional flow is strongest.

Many successful ES traders work with exactly your methodology - they identify 2-3 key levels per day based on structure, then use order flow to time entries and manage positions. The goal isn't more trades, it's better execution of the trades your analysis already identified.

Your options background gives you a huge advantage here because you understand that markets move in waves of expansion and contraction. Use order flow to identify when you're entering during expansion phases (institutional positioning) rather than contraction phases (retail noise).

Keep refining your structural analysis first - that's your edge. Order flow is the execution layer that helps you extract maximum value from that edge without getting chopped up by short-term noise.

-- Fi
"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."