Phantom Entry Models Explained: FLOR, Continuation, and Double Confirmation
Strategy
Having a directional bias is one thing. Knowing exactly when and where to pull the trigger is another — and it's where most traders consistently leave money on the table or, worse, take unnecessary losses.
At Phantom, we don't guess entries. We use a set of defined entry models that tell us precisely what we need to see before we execute. This article breaks down three of the core ones.
Why Entry Models Matter
Without a defined entry model, you're making a subjective decision every single time you trade. One day you enter on a candle close. The next you enter on a wick. The day after that you chase a move because it "looked strong."
This inconsistency makes it impossible to review your performance meaningfully. You can't improve what you can't measure. Entry models give you a repeatable, reviewable process.
The FLOR Entry
FLOR stands for First Level of Resistance (or support, depending on direction). It's the entry model we use to get positioned at the earliest valid point in a move — before the majority of retail traders have even identified the setup.
The premise is simple: after a break of structure, price will often return to the first significant level it left behind. That level is the FLOR. It's the point where the imbalance between buyers and sellers was most pronounced, and where institutional participants are most likely to re-engage.
What makes FLOR powerful is timing. You're not waiting for confirmation that everyone else can see. You're positioning at the origin of the move, which gives you a tighter stop and a larger potential reward.
The key requirement for a valid FLOR entry is context — you need a clear break of structure on your execution timeframe, and the level you're targeting needs to be clean, untested, and within the direction of your higher timeframe bias.
Continuation Entries
Not every trade starts from the beginning of a move. Sometimes you identify a trend late, miss the initial entry, or simply want additional confirmation before committing. That's where continuation entries come in.
A continuation entry is taken after price has already demonstrated directional intent — it's broken structure, pulled back, and is showing signs of resuming in the original direction. You're not catching the very start of the move, but you're entering with the evidence of momentum behind you.
The key distinction between a continuation entry and chasing is structure. Chasing is entering after a large impulsive move with no logical level to define your risk. A continuation entry has a clear pullback to a defined level — a previous area of supply or demand, a structural point, or a significant liquidity level — with price reacting from that level before you execute.
This entry model is particularly useful for traders who want to reduce the frequency of being stopped out at the FLOR and prefer to wait for the market to "prove itself" first.
Double Confirmation Entries
The double confirmation entry is the most conservative of the three. It requires price to show you two separate pieces of evidence before you execute — typically a higher timeframe structural reason to be in a trade, combined with a lower timeframe entry signal that aligns with it.
The logic is straightforward: the more confluences that align, the higher the probability of the trade working out. A double confirmation setup means you're not relying on one single reason to be in the market. You have a structural argument from above and an execution signal from below.
The trade-off is that these setups occur less frequently. You'll miss some moves waiting for both conditions to align. But the setups you do take will have a significantly higher probability, and more importantly, a cleaner risk definition.
Choosing the Right Model for the Situation
These three models are not interchangeable — each suits a different market condition and risk tolerance.
Use FLOR when the break of structure is clean, the level is untested, and you have strong higher timeframe conviction. The reward potential is highest here.
Use continuation when you've missed the initial move or want more confirmation that the direction is valid. You sacrifice some reward for more evidence.
Use double confirmation in choppy or unclear market conditions, or when you want the highest-probability setup regardless of frequency.
The Bigger Picture
Entry models are one component of a complete trading process. They don't work in isolation — they need to sit within a framework of higher timeframe analysis, defined risk parameters, and a clear understanding of the liquidity landscape.
What they do is remove the biggest source of inconsistency in most traders' results: the discretionary, emotional decision of exactly when to get in. When your entry is defined by a model rather than a feeling, your trading becomes reviewable, improvable, and repeatable.
That's the foundation of consistency.