[Nomad77]

Game could be broken down into three stages: approach, mid-game, and end-game - very similar to chess. Some believe the approach/opening is the most important part and it may be. If you never open then nothing else can happen.

I would suggest the following measurement as a way to judge if you have gotten over your fear of rejection and have become comfortable enough approaching.

If you see a decent situation to open a decent looking girl you should feel compelled to do so. Because you know if you don't you will feel miserable for not doing it. You should fear that feeling of being a chump far more than the fear of rejection. When you reach the point where you almost HAVE to open a girl given a good situation you have graduated from level I in my opinion. It's the yardstick I use for myself. The day I find myself walking away from a decent situation it's the day I know I need to get my ass back in shape.

For example: I took my mother to the supermarket today. As I walked in, a girl stopped me and ask me if I wanted to buy a ticket. They were selling tickets to a shopping cart full of stuff for some charity. I stopped and look at her more closely. She was in her early twenties, cute face, decent body about a 6-7, Latin, barely spoke English but she was smiling at me. There were people around but it was a decent girl in a decent situation I had to do it. So I said, ok, I will buy a ticket and gave her a dollar. She then asked me what is my name and phone number. I smiled and thought to myself this is beautiful. So I said, well, I will give you my name and phone number if you gave me yours. She goes I can't give you my number I have a boyfriend! But she was still smiling. I said, ok and took out my business card and handed it to her so she could get my name and number from it. She look at my card and wrote down the information. She then smiled and said, ok, I will call you tomorrow to let you know if you won. I smiled and said, oh, you will call me tomorrow, ok. I gave her a little lower back caress as I left. She didn't return my card. Who knows, maybe I will win tomorrow.

The moral of the story? Life and Game is a lottery, you can't win if you don't buy a ticket

[Anon-A-Moose]

Good thread. I'm not a total newbie, but certainly no pro. My opening game's pretty solid in my opinion (I have a very good response rate in openers). My midgame is mediocre, ramble is good for building a connection but doesn't always want to translate enough into more end-stage stuff. End stage is still weak, but respectable--certainly better than average Joe.
I've really only been really, truly successful in internal game, which helps smooth things out, and the opening and transition into ramble. I'm relying too much on that internalized "vibe" to translate the ramble into the end stage, where I should be guiding conversations with a bit more forethought.
But that's also my environment right now, lots of young girls who are still figuring themselves out. Out of my prime prospects right now, maybe half are virgins. LOTS of resistance, but I think worth it. I've never banged a virgin.

[Nomad77]

Thanks. Creating a "connection" is difficult. In my experience, unless the girl has some minimum level of interest in me from the start no amount of work on my part will create a connection. So now, unless I detect that minimum interest level it never gets to mid-game. I will give you an example. I was at an open house gathering for a studio last night. I noticed this attractive (solid 8) standing by herself. She was easily the best looking girl in the place but no guys were talking to her. I moved over by area and ignored her saw a old gun and started playing with it. As I was examining the gun I heard someone made noise like a gun going off behind me. I turned around it was her. She couldn't stand being ignored and wanted my attention/validation - knew this, it was the plan. BUT as I look at her eyes I didn't see that minimum level of interest I need so I decided to give her her validation, she seemed nice. So I chatted with her for about 10 - 15 mins and when she said she wanted to go get a drink I just let her go. A lot of guys would have stayed in the conversation and keep going. (She was an event model from New Orleans, flown in for a Harley convention.) Doesn't matter the age of the girls. If she's attracted to you on some minimum level she will show it. Now, you will need the experience to detect it but it will be there.

As Di Angelo said:

Attraction is not a choice - only what we do about it.