Order block trading is a price action trading strategy that aims to identify and trade from order blocks on the chart. Order blocks represent areas where large buy or sell orders have been absorbed by the market and can signify a change in market sentiment and momentum. Traders look to capitalize on potential price reversals from order blocks.
Here are the top 10 most effective order block trading strategies and setups to use:
1. Identify High Probability Trading Zones (HPTZs)
Introduction
High Probability Trading Zones (HPTZs) are areas on the price chart where the price is likely to reverse or consolidate. Identifying these zones increases the odds of successful order block trades. There are several ways to find HPTZs:
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Conclusion
Analyzing HPTZs gives traders an edge when order block trading. Use support, Fibonacci, and moving average levels to narrow down high probability price zones.
2. Look for Order Blocks
Introduction
Order blocks are clusters of orders executed at a specific price level that show an imbalance between supply and demand. They appear as large candlesticks or bars on the chart and signify potential market turning points.
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Conclusion
Order blocks are at the core of this trading strategy. Becoming skilled at accurately locating and validating them provides a consistent source of trading opportunities.
3. Use Multiple Timeframes
Introduction
Examining order blocks across multiple timeframes provides a detailed market overview. The higher timeframe charts show the overall trend and key zones while lower timeframes pinpoint precise entry and stop loss levels.
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Conclusion
Trading order blocks without using multiple timeframes leaves you with an incomplete picture. Flipping between timeframes provides greater precision and predictive power.
4. Confirm with Price Action
Introduction
Price action refers to how the price is behaving on the chart through candlestick patterns, momentum, and structure. Analyzing the price action context around an order block is crucial for confirmation.
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Conclusion
Don't take order block trades blindly. Properly confirming them with price action gives a precise, high-probability entry point and improves overall performance.
5. Set Appropriate Stop Loss
Introduction
A stop loss is an essential risk management tool that exits your trade if price moves against you by a predefined amount. Placing stop losses is especially important in order block trading to limit downside.
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Conclusion
Proper stop loss placement improves risk management and prevents excessive losses. Use them on every order block trade to trade with the proper position sizing.
6. Determine Target Profit
Introduction
Profit targets are used along with stop losses to establish the reward:risk ratio of a trade. Common methods for determining target profit on order blocks include:
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Conclusion
Set realistic targets to extract optimal gains from order block trades. While difficult to gauge, proper profit targets create definable winning trade outcomes.
7. Manage Risk
Introduction
Managing risk includes proper position sizing, using stop losses, limiting exposure, and maintaining trading discipline. Mastering risk management is vital for long-term trading success.
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Conclusion
Risk comes first in trading. Implement effective risk management into every aspect of your order block strategy to trade stress-free and profit consistently.
8. Be Patient
Introduction
Patience is required when trading order blocks to wait for price to confirm entries and avoid premature entry. Traders often attempt to pick exact reversals only to be stopped out.
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Conclusion
Patience pays off significantly in order block trading. Wait for perfect entries rather than anticipating breakouts too early. Good things come to those who wait.
9. Use Trading Psychology
Introduction
Mastering trading psychology and discipline is essential for success. The mental aspect of trading often outweighs the technical side in the long run.
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Conclusion
Work on your mental game as much as your trading strategy. Controlling emotions and sticking to proven rules allows for peak trading performance.
10. Review and Adjust Strategy
Introduction
Continually reviewing your trading results and adjusting your order block strategy is key for improvement. Successful traders constantly analyze performance and tweak their plans.
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Conclusion
Don't become stagnant and complacent. Consistently analyze your order block trading results and fine-tune your process to reach maximum potential.
FAQs
What is order block trading?
Order block trading aims to identify and trade from blocks of orders absorbed by the market at specific price levels. These represent imbalances between buying and selling pressure and can signal potential price reversals.
What are the best order block indicators?
The best indicators for order blocks are support/resistance, trend lines, moving averages, Fibonacci levels, and traditional price action tools like candlesticks and momentum oscillators.
Where should stops be placed in order block trading?
Stops are best placed just beyond the high or low of the order block candle body. This contains risk on invalidated blocks while allowing room for some volatility and whipsaws.
What is the minimum size for an order block?
There is no definitive minimum size, but an order block should represent a clear imbalance and price rejection. Typically a larger candle body or bar signals increased order flow at that level.
How do you determine order block targets?
Profit targets are set using Fibonacci extensions, measured moves, previous market structure, and technical indicators. Targets should represent a realistic risk:reward of at least 1:1.
Conclusion
Order block trading aims to catch profitable price reversals as the market changes direction. By mastering these top proven strategies, traders can take advantage of order flow imbalances and improve their overall accuracy and performance. Analyze technical factors, utilize price action, and employ proper risk management to yield an edge. Consistently review results to refine and optimize the trading process over time. With practice and discipline, order block trading can provide a probabilistic path to consistent profits.
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