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.

The Naked Eye: Raw Data Analytics with Edgar Torres - Raw Data Analytics
TradeCraft: Your Path to Peak Performance Trading By Adam Grimes
Change Happens. Do You Profit Or Does Someone Else (Traders Expo Las Vegas Dec 2005) by Tobin Smith
Butterfly and Condor Workshop with Aeromir
Essentials in Quantitative Trading QT01 By HangukQuant's
W. D Gann 's Square Of 9 Applied To Modern Markets with Sean Avidar - Hexatrade350
TRADING NFX Course with Andrew NFX
Volatility Trading with Euan Sinclair
Wave Trading Masterclass: Elliott's Wave Theory/Fibonacci Principles with Wave Trader
The Best Option Trading Course with David Jaffee - Best Stock Strategy
How To Read The Market Professionally with TradeSmart
Forecast 2024 Clarification with Larry Williams
VIP - One on One Coursework with Talkin Options
VSTOPS ProTrader Strategy (Nov 2013)
The Complete Guide to Multiple Time Frame Analysis & Reading Price Action with Aiman Almansoori
WondaFX Signature Strategy with WondaFX
WD Gann’s Master Time Factor DVD With Miles Wilson Walker
Wyckoff simplified from Michael Z
Scalp Strategy and Flipping Small Accounts with Opes Trading Group
$20 – 52k 20 pips a day challange with Rafał Zuchowicz - TopMasterTrader
ICT Prodigy Trading Course – $650K in Payouts with Alex Solignani
Advanced Spread Trading with Guy Bower - MasterClass Trader
Timing Techniques for Commodity Futures Markets with Colin Alexander
WITS Turbo Seminars with Brian James Sklenka
Best of the Best: Collars with Amy Meissner & Scott Ruble
White Phoenix’s The Smart (Money) Approach to Trading with Jayson Casper
Advanced Trading Strategies
Matrix Spread Options Trading Course with Base Camp Trading
Wall Street Stories with Edwin Lefevre
ASFX Advanced Divergence Training Course & VIP Chat
Quantamentals - The Next Great Forefront Of Trading and Investing with Trading Markets
Wave Trading
The Indices Orderflow Masterclass with The Forex Scalpers
Art of Yen Course (Feb 2014)
The Prop Trading Code with Brannigan Barrett - Axia Futures
AstuceFX Mentorship 2023
Crystal Ball Pack PLUS bonus Live Trade By Pat Mitchell - Trick Trades
The Orderflows Trade Opportunities Encyclopedia with Michael Valtos
BTC Market Profile
Charting Made Easy with John J.Murphy
Tradeguider Mentorship Collection
60 Minute Trader with Chris Kobewka
The Trading Blueprint with Brad Goh - The Trading Geek
Bond Market Course with The Macro Compass
Your Next Great Stock: How to Screen the Market for Tomorrow's Top Performers with Jack Hough
A14 Weekly Options Strategy Workshop 2023 with Amy Meissner - Aeromir
0 DTE Options Trading Workshop with Aeromir Corporation
You Don't Need No Stinkin' Stockbroker: Taking the Pulse of Your Investment Portfolio with Doug Cappiello & Steve Tanaka
Zanzibar System for the EuroFx with Joe Ross
Wyckoff Analysis Series. Module 1. Wyckoff Volume Analysis
The A14 Weekly Option Strategy Workshop with Amy Meissner
Yarimi University Course
Commodity Spreads: Techniques and Methods for Spreading Financial Futures, Grains, Meats & Other Commodities with Courtney Smith
Bulletproof Butterflies 2.0 2022 (PREMIUM) with Bruce Marshall
Deep Dive Butterfly Trading Strategy Class with SJG Trades
Trading Short TermSame Day Trades Sep 2023 with Dan Sheridan & Mark Fenton - Sheridan Options Mentoring
Advanced Options Trading Strategies Explained
Crypto Trading Academy with Cheeky Investor - Aussie Day Trader
Weekly Diagonal Spreads for Consistent Income By Doc Severson
A-Z Course with InvestiTrade Academy
Volatile Markets Made Easy: Trading Stocks and Options for Increased Profits with Guy Cohen
Advanced Technical Strategies Home Study Course with T3 LIVE
Trading double Diagonals 2023 with Dan Sheridan - Sheridan Options Mentoring
Carter FX 2.0 with CFX University
Building Cryptocurrencies with JavaScript By Stone River eLearning
Activedaytrader - Workshop: Unusual Options
Trading Using Ocean Theory with Pat Raffolovich
X-Factor Day-Trading
Become A Quant Trader Bundle with Lachezar Haralampiev & Radoslav Haralampiev - Quant Factory
Winning With The Market with Douglas R.Sease
Advanced Day Trading Course with Doyle Exchange
Ultimate Trading Course with Dodgy's Dungeon
When Buy Means Sell : An Investor's Guide to Investing When It Counts with Eric Shkolnik
AstroScan Regulus 4.1E newastro.net
Complete Best Practices - Weekly Options Income Trading System with Weekly Options Academy
Advanced Nuances & Exceptions eCourse with Jim Dalton
Avoiding Trading Mistakes with Mark D.Cook
Candlestick Trading Forum Trading Seminar with Stephen W.Bigalow
Options Trading & Ultimate MasterClass With Tyrone Abela - FX Evolution
Toast FX Course
Trading For a Living By Thomas Carr (Dr. Stoxx)
Activedaytrader - Workshop Options For Income
WEBINAR series 5 – EXECUTION: A DETAILED PROCESS with FuturesTrader71
Zen8 Forex Hedging Program with Hugh Kimura - Trading Heroes
Trading the Moves - Consistent Gains in All Markets with Ed Downs
Binary Defender
Advanced Forex Patterns with Vic Noble & Darko Ali
Trading Blox Builder 4.3.2.1
ABC Waves TOS Indicator & Live Class with Simpler Options
7 DAY INTENSIVE ONLINE TRADER TRAINING PROGRAMME with The Trading Framework
A Day In The Life Of A Forex Trader with Vic Noble & Shirley Hudson
Wysetrade Forex Masterclass 3.0
Tradingmarkets - Introduction to AmiBroker Programming
We Fund Traders - The Whale Order
Home Run Options Trading Course with Dave Aquino - Base Camp Trading
Crash or Correction - Top 5 Patterns Every Trader Must Master with Todd Gordon
Trading for a Living with Alexander Elder
What is Strategy with Michael E.Porter
BearProof Investing with Kenneth Little
What Ranks Schema Course with Clint Butler
Trading Double Diagonals in 2019 with Dan Sheridan - Sheridan Options Mentoring
High Probability Trading Using Elliott Wave And Fibonacci Analysis withVic Patel - Forex Training Group
Workshop Earnings Powerplay with Base Camp Trading
AI For Traders with Trading Markets
Asset Allocation for the Individual Investor with CFA Institute
Chart Reading Course with TraderSumo
4 Day Trading Bootcamp
Master The Art of Technical Analysis with Raul Gonzalez
Advanced Volume Profile + Order Flow Video Course with Trader Dale
Atlas Edition Course with Apex Paragon Trading
Advanced Pattern Trader Course with Trade Empowered
8 Year Presidential Election Pattern (Article) with Adam White
Workshop: The Best Way to Trade Stock Movement
WYCKOFF TRADING COURSE (WTC) PART I – ANALYSIS (Fall 2021) with Roman Bogomazov
Weekly Power Options Strategies
Weekly Credit Spreads for Income
Volatility Position Risk Management with Cynthia Kase
6 (The Proper BackGround)
Baby Blue Trading Technique for the E-Minis with Dave Wright
The Tickmaster Indicator
Beginners Guide to Swing Trading Growth Stocks with Brandon Chapman
The Orderflow Masterclass with PrimeTrading
Yin Yang Forex Training Program
CNBC 24-7 Trading with Barbara Rockefeller
A Complete Guide to Technical Trading Tactics with John Person
Collection of Articles and Webinars with Sunil Mangwani [9 Videos (FLVs) + 14 eBooks
ZipTraderU 2023 with ZipTrader
Active Investing courses notes with Alan Hull
Code 6 + 7 Course with Oil Trading Academy
You can be a Stock Market Genious with Joel Greenblaat
Unreal Series - Forex Trading Master - Surreal Abilities with Talmadge Harper - Harper Healing
Ultimate Options Blue Print Course
Capital Flows and Crises with Barry Eichengreen
Building Automated Trading Systems C++.NET with Benjamin Van Vliet
Wyckoff Stock Market Institute
Trading Economic Data System with CopperChips
Trading Halls Of Knowledge - Road to Consistent Trading Profits with Jarrod Goodwin
Acme
Algo Trading Masterclass with Ali Casey - StatOasis
Traders Secret Library
Commodity Options: Trading and Hedging Volatility in the World’s Most Lucrative Market with Carley Garner & Paul Brittain
SQX Mentorship with Tip Toe Hippo
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.