How to Read the Tape Without Losing Your Mind

and getting cross-eyed.

Jan Verhelst
April 05, 2025

📥 Open this in your inbox. You’ll want to come back to this one.

Footprint charts. Delta. DOM.

Most traders look at them… and see noise.

Why? Because they’re looking for confirmation instead of intention.

Here’s what to look for instead.

Absorption at LIS zones
Market hits a level and stalls, but massive volume still hits the book?
That’s absorption. Someone’s standing their ground.
Delta flip at extremes
Positive delta → sudden negative delta at highs?
That’s a flush. Sellers stepped in, bulls got smacked.
Stacked bids/lifts vanish
Spoofing isn’t always evil, but when liquidity disappears just before a move, it’s a tell.

Have a bias first (structure). Tape is used to confirm, not create, your plan.
Focus on key zones. Tape anywhere else is a distraction.
Journal tape reactions. You’ll start to see repeatable patterns.

Reading the tape isn’t a magic trick. It’s a skill.

Start with your LIS, then zoom in.

📌 Use the footprint or 1000-vol chart, no more, no less.

Trade smart, not reactive.

— J.