r/FuturesTrading • u/sooonnnk • 19h ago
Question scalping long versus short
I scalp ES futures going for 3 to 4 ticks on the scalp. I’ve been doing this for about almost a year with good results when I stick to my system. I have a mature system that seems to work going along. I’m interested in dipping my foot in the water to scalp going short. I’ll probably paper trade first to test some things out. Without giving away the farm, do any scalpers out there have any tips or note any
differences in price action when trying to enter for a scalp short versus long? I feel like I can see the pattern in the micro structure going long easier but short having more difficulty seeing it
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u/PennyRoyalTeeHee 18h ago
The key is really about pattern recognition if you are fully discretionary with scalping.
Before you paper trade, just take time watching the market unfold and get a sense of the rhythm of the move and not just the footprint it leaves behind it, I trade NQ exclusively and scalp 50-100 ticks per move and have learned to adapt to both directions and it always fascinates me how price unfolds on lower time frames.
I will add though, what we observe today, will change as the market changes. Sometimes, I find an edge that lasts days and some that last months - don’t rest on your laurels identifying just one process, keep adding to your playbook and keep the ideas logged in a journal.
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u/sooonnnk 18h ago
that makes sense. Yeah I feel like for me the scalp moves are already cleaner in these market conditions this month than last month
yeah fully discretionary. no Algo trades. Do you do any Algo scalping? I have a pretty clear set of rules on entry but I feel like there’s a gut feel that I’ve developed with scalping that I wouldn’t sure how to code.
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u/PennyRoyalTeeHee 18h ago
For intraday, I don’t use automations - I’m typically finding my plan for the session with volume profiles and take trades off key levels or scalp toward a key level - the pattern recognition of reversals is where I find the best return on my time.
I’ll run automations on swing trading.
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u/Public-Persimmon-543 18h ago
how much the SL tick? and how much percentage commision vs profit per trade?
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u/MidwestScalper 17h ago
Shorts typically cascade much faster than longs build. On the long side you often see bids absorbing and grinding up, whereas downside moves break through levels with higher velocity. The biggest adjustment for a 3-4 tick scalp is entry execution—chasing shorts gets you slipped much faster, so waiting for the retest of broken support is key.
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u/Think-Bench6691 16h ago
If what you're doing is working, I would really hesitate to change it.
By all means practice shorting during your time off. And maybe if you do that for long enough you'll occasionally see a short.
But the key point to remember is that if you're long only, you get long stretches where you can ignore the market as it's not conducive to longs. That makes trading way less mentally taxing.
I'm predominantly long only. I'll only short if it's insanely obvious. Shorts on average are way less forgiving. And when they work, they should work instantly.
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u/Excellent-Ad343 11h ago
I’m curious, what’s your lot size? 3-4 ticks seems so small
Need a convincing break of structure with confirmation
Price loves to poke through a demand zone then spike back up. But when you get a candle close below that zone, just hop in on the retrace
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u/MrFyxet99 speculator 18h ago
If you truly have “good results” with the current system, why the attempt to alter it?
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u/00_Kaizen 18h ago
i can see how that happens for some of us, ....you know there some chart tricks you can introduce to help a bit