Smart Money Trading Strategy Guide
Understanding the intricacies of the stock market can be daunting, but Gavin Holmes’ “Trading in the Shadow of the Smart Money” offers a unique perspective. This approach helps traders recognize the footprints of the so-called “smart money” – the professional traders and institutions who significantly influence market movements. By learning to identify these signals, traders can make more informed decisions and enhance their trading strategies.
Who is Gavin Holmes?
Background and Expertise
Gavin Holmes is a seasoned trader and author known for his expertise in volume spread analysis (VSA). He has dedicated his career to educating traders on how to decode the activities of professional traders and institutions.
Publications and Contributions
Holmes has authored several books and conducted numerous seminars and webinars, making his insights widely accessible to traders at all levels.
Understanding Smart Money
What is Smart Money?
Smart money refers to the capital controlled by institutional investors, central banks, and other financial professionals. These entities have the resources and information to influence market trends.
Why Follow Smart Money?
By following the smart money, retail traders can align their strategies with the market’s underlying trends, increasing their chances of success.
Volume Spread Analysis (VSA)
What is VSA?
Volume Spread Analysis is a methodology that examines the relationship between price movements, volume, and the spread of a security. It helps traders identify buying and selling pressures.
Components of VSA
- Volume: The number of shares traded.
- Spread: The difference between the high and low prices of a trading period.
- Price: The actual trading price of the security.
Key Concepts in “Trading in the Shadow of the Smart Money”
Identifying Professional Activity
Holmes emphasizes the importance of recognizing the signs of professional activity in the market. This involves analyzing volume and price action to detect accumulation and distribution phases.
Accumulation and Distribution
- Accumulation: When smart money is buying large quantities without significantly moving the price.
- Distribution: When smart money is selling large quantities without causing a sharp price decline.
Practical Application of VSA
Analyzing Chart Patterns
Holmes teaches traders how to read and interpret chart patterns to identify potential smart money moves.
Using Indicators
Incorporating technical indicators with VSA can enhance the accuracy of your analysis.
Common VSA Signals
Up Thrusts and Shakeouts
These signals indicate potential reversals or continuations of trends, providing valuable entry and exit points.
No Demand and No Supply Bars
These bars help traders identify weak points in the market, signaling potential trend changes.
Building a Trading Plan
Setting Objectives
Define clear trading goals based on your risk tolerance and market understanding.
Risk Management
Implementing robust risk management strategies is crucial for long-term success.
Trade Execution
Plan your trades meticulously, considering entry and exit points, stop-loss orders, and position sizing.
Real-World Examples
Case Studies
Holmes’ book includes various case studies that illustrate the practical application of VSA in different market conditions.
Live Trading Sessions
Engaging in live trading sessions can provide hands-on experience and deeper insights into Holmes’ strategies.
Advantages of Trading in the Shadow of the Smart Money
Increased Accuracy
By following the smart money, traders can make more informed and accurate trading decisions.
Enhanced Market Understanding
Holmes’ approach helps traders develop a deeper understanding of market dynamics and professional trading activities.
Challenges and Solutions
Complexity of VSA
VSA can be complex for beginners. Holmes’ resources and educational materials help simplify these concepts.
Market Volatility
High market volatility can obscure smart money signals. Adapting your strategy to different market conditions is essential.
Conclusion
Trading in the Shadow of the Smart Money with Gavin Holmes offers invaluable insights into the world of professional trading. By leveraging VSA, traders can enhance their strategies and align their actions with those of the market’s most influential players.

Commonly Asked Questions:
- Business Model Innovation: Accept the truth of a legitimate business! Our strategy is organising a group buy in which participants share the costs. We use these cash to acquire popular courses from sale pages and make them available to people with limited financial resources. Despite the authors’ worries, our clients love the cost and accessibility we give.
- The Legal Environment: Yes or No The legality of our activity is ambiguous. While we don’t have specific permission from the course authors to resell the material, there is a technicality at work. The author did not specify any limits on resale when purchasing the course. This legal intricacy is both an opportunity for us and a boon for individuals looking for low-cost access.
- Quality Control: Uncovering the Truth
Getting to the heart of the issue – quality. Purchasing the course straight from the sale page guarantees that all documents and resources are the same as those obtained through traditional channels.
However, we distinguish ourselves by going beyond personal research and resale. It is crucial to note that we are not the official course providers, which means that the following premium services are not included in our package:
- There are no scheduled coaching calls or sessions with the author.
- Access to the author’s private Facebook group or web portal is not permitted.
- No access to the author’s private membership forum.
- There is no direct email support available from the author or their team.
We operate independently, with the goal of bridging the pricing gap without the extra services provided by official course channels. Your comprehension of our distinct approach is much appreciated.

How to avoid the GAP
The SPY Beginners Flys & Calendars Deep Dive 2023 with Dan Sheridan - Sheridan Options Mentoring
Pristine - Dan Gibby – Market Preparation Trading Gaps & Trading the Open
Video Bundle - 4d & "Into The Abyss" with Blackrabbitfx
WD Gann’s Master Time Factor DVD With Miles Wilson Walker
Quantamentals - The Next Great Forefront Of Trading and Investing with Trading Markets
Trading System Building Blocks with John Hill
Weekly Power Options Strategies
XLT - Futures Trading Course
Trading on the Edge with Guido J.Deboeck
Ultimate Trading Course with Dodgy's Dungeon
WEBINAR series 5 – EXECUTION: A DETAILED PROCESS with FuturesTrader71
The Insider's Guide to 52 Homes in 52 Weeks: Acquire Your Real Estate Fortune Today with Dolf De Roos
Ultimate Options Blue Print Course
A Seminar On Ocean Theory Home Study Trading Course with Pat Raffalovich
Stochastics for the Serious Traders with George Lane
The Golden Rule with Jim Gibbons
Quantitative Finance & Algorithmic Trading in Python with Holczer Balazs
The Best Option Trading Course with David Jaffee - Best Stock Strategy
Bond Market Course with The Macro Compass
$20 – 52k 20 pips a day challange with Rafał Zuchowicz - TopMasterTrader
AI For Traders with Trading Markets
Day Trading MasterClass with Tyrone Abela - FX Evolution
Complete Guide to Online Stock Market Investing (2nd Edition) with Alexander Davidson
A Complete Guide to Technical Trading Tactics with John Person
The Complete Guide to Multiple Time Frame Analysis & Reading Price Action with Aiman Almansoori
Advanced Price Action Course with ZenFX
Access All Areas with Marwood Research
Trading Strategies with Larry Sanders
W. D Gann 's Square Of 9 Applied To Modern Markets with Sean Avidar - Hexatrade350
Big Fish Trading Strategy with Dave Aquino
Currency Trading Seminar with Peter Bain
A Litle Keltner, a Litle Wycoff and of lot of Street Smarts with Linda Raschke
A-Z Course with InvestiTrade Academy
Dan Dowd Trading
High Probability Trading Using Elliott Wave And Fibonacci Analysis withVic Patel - Forex Training Group
Advanced Options Trading with Lucas Downey
Applied Portfolio Management with Catherine Shenoy
0 DTE Options Trading Workshop with Aeromir Corporation
Weekly Diagonal Spreads for Consistent Income By Doc Severson
TRADING NFX Course with Andrew NFX
The Indices Orderflow Masterclass with The Forex Scalpers
Matrix Spread Options Trading Course with Base Camp Trading
Candlestick - Training Videos (Videos 1.2 GB)
Apteros Trading Fall Intensive 2021 - Trading Intensive
What Products to Watch and Why Class with Don Kaufman
Advanced GET 8.0 EOD
Advanced Spread Trading with Guy Bower - MasterClass Trader
The Trading Blueprint with Brad Goh - The Trading Geek
WondaFX Signature Strategy with WondaFX
Options Trading & Ultimate MasterClass With Tyrone Abela - FX Evolution
The Methodology Revealed with Nick Santiago & Gareth Soloway - InTheMoneyStocks
WealthFRX Trading Mastery Course 2.0
X-Factor Day-Trading
Deep Dive Butterfly Trading Strategy Class with SJG Trades
Altcoin Investing Course with Rekt Capital
You Don't Need No Stinkin' Stockbroker: Taking the Pulse of Your Investment Portfolio with Doug Cappiello & Steve Tanaka
Trading Short TermSame Day Trades Sep 2023 with Dan Sheridan & Mark Fenton - Sheridan Options Mentoring
Scalp Strategy and Flipping Small Accounts with Opes Trading Group
Crypto Trading Academy with Cheeky Investor - Aussie Day Trader
Artificial Intelligence with Larry Pesavento
Volume Profile Video Course with Trader Dale
CrewFX Group Course Package with Language Of The Markets
War Room Technicals Vol. 4 with Pat Mitchell – Trick Trades
Trading Non-Farm Payroll Report
Capital Flows and Crises with Barry Eichengreen
30 Days to Market Mastery: A Step-by-Step Guide to Profitable Trading with Jack Bernstein
Crystal Ball Pack PLUS bonus Live Trade By Pat Mitchell - Trick Trades
Arjoio’s MMT - Essential Package
Active Investing courses notes with Alan Hull
Butterfly and Condor Workshop with Aeromir
Vertex Investing Course
All About Stocks (3rd Ed.) withEsme E.Faerber
Algo Trading Masterclass with Ali Casey - StatOasis
The Orderflows Trade Opportunities Encyclopedia with Michael Valtos
A Comprehensive Guide to Intraday Trading Strategies & Setups Class with Jeff Bierman
Compass Trading System with Right Line Trading
7 DAY INTENSIVE ONLINE TRADER TRAINING PROGRAMME with The Trading Framework
ValueCharts Ultimate Bundle with Base Camp Trading
Trading Ist Ein Geschaft (German) (tradingeducators.com)
ICT Prodigy Trading Course – $650K in Payouts with Alex Solignani
VintagEducation - The Fast Track Forex Bootcamp
Activedaytrader - Workshop: Practical Money Management
4D Bootcamp with Black Rabbit
Candlesticks Trading Course
Trading The Elliott Wave Indicator (2003) [1 MP4] - Robert Prechter
Bulls on Wall Street Mentorship
TradeCraft: Your Path to Peak Performance Trading By Adam Grimes
VXX Made Easy By Option Pit
Trading Connors VIX Reversals Tradestation Files with Laurence A. Connors & Gregory J. Che
SQX Mentorship with Tip Toe Hippo
Adx Mastery Complete Course
Weekly Options Boot Camp with Price Headley
How To Read The Market Professionally with TradeSmart
AmiBroker Ultimate Pack Pro v6.20.1 x64 (Feb 2017)
BETT Strategy with TopTradeTools
Using Options to Buy Stocks: Build Wealth with Little Risk and No Capital - Dennis Eisen
3 Steps To Supply/Demand + 3 Steps To Market Profile 10% Off Combined Price
Home Run Options Trading Course with Dave Aquino - Base Camp Trading
White Phoenix’s The Smart (Money) Approach to Trading with Jayson Casper
Essentials in Quantitative Trading QT01 By HangukQuant's
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.