Tactics Toolbox

Todd’s Physical Escalation Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Standard RSD Physical Escalation Stack . . . . . . . . 2
Verbal Escalation Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
5-Point Escalation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Openers
Greeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Ambiguous Compliment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Female Opinion Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Nonpersonal Negative Spike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Nonphysical Compliment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mini Cold Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Push-Pull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Setup Punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Statement of Lighthearted Arrogance . . . . . . . . . . . 6
False Indirect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Field-Tested Attraction
Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Push-Pull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mini Cold Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Misinterpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Open Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Neg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Humble Brag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Future Adventure Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Guide to Approaches in Various

Venues
Nightclub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Bar/Lounge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Malls and Grocery Stores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Park/Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Cafés and Restaurants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Bookstores, Libraries, + Museums . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Public Transit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The Gym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Barbecues, Picnics, Festivals, House Parties, +
Campuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Waitress, Hostess, or Shopgirl . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tactics Toolbox
There are two basic principles here. 1). If you use one of the physical
escalation moves and it works, move on to the next. And 2). if the move
falls flat, relax for a bit, don’t get physical, and then try again later with a
move of similar riskiness.

Todd’s Physical Escalation Stack

v Man to Woman Handshake

v Accessory Touch

v Upper Arm Touch

v Light Push Away

v Hand Touch/Grasp

v Hand on Thigh (Fraction Too Long)

v Brush Back Hair

v Lean in, Tell Secret

v Hair Grab/Stroke/Pull

v Kiss

v Kiss/Pull Away

At this point, you’ve essentially escalated physically and should focus on

physical comfort.
Standard RSD Physical Escalation Stack
v High Five

v Handshake Spin

v Hand Clasp

v Hug

v Slow Dance

v Lift and Spin

v Neck Kiss/Bite

v Kiss

v Physical Comfort

Verbal Escalation Stack

v You seem . . . interesting. . . .

v You have the silliest/funniest/most adorable expressions

v You’re trouble

v You’re actually kinda cute (optional . . . “but . . .”) (cute . . . ish)

Can be done in middle of sentence

v You’re actually pretty okay . . . I didn’t expect to like you at first

v Stop looking at me like that

 v I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just say that, because I’m enjoying
liking you

v You’ll never get into my pants if you keep doing that

v Damn . . . please stop being so cute

v I’m not going to sleep with you tonight

v I’m sorry, can you repeat that . . . I was too busy objectifying you
to listen

v You would make a great wife/girlfriend/fuck buddy . . . if you

weren’t so x

v I kinda want to have breakfast with you

v I kinda want to make you my (city name)

v I have to ask you something . . . and this is really important . . . do

you sleep on the right or left side of the bed?

v I’m trying so hard not to do something naughty to you right now

v I want you inside me

5-Point Escalation
v Open

v Hook

v Emotional Connection

v Physical Connection

v Close
Openers
Anything you come up with in the moment will typically be best, but if
you’re struggling for something to say, here are some good go-tos. And
also, the more you use these formats, the more they’ll start to come out
naturally and effortlessly as your normal conversation.

Greeting
Basically, just say hi.

Ex: Hi, Hey, Hello, Oi, etc.

Ambiguous Compliment
Give a compliment that doesn’t give your power away—or even one that
possibly makes her slightly insecure.

Ex: Hey, you looked (adorable, interesting, fun, etc.), so I thought I’d
say hi.

Ex: You seemed very . . . interesting.

Ex: You surprise me.

Female Opinion Opener

Ask a female opinion, ideally (but not necessarily) on a topic women
enjoy talking about.

Ex: Hey, I need a female opinion on something. Who lies more: men
or women? Ex: Hey, my friend’s shirt? Too gay? Or just gay enough?

Ex: Hey, I need to ask you something: Can men and women be
friends?
Nonpersonal Negative Spike
Just how it sounds. A negative spike gets her attention and conveys
value, but because it’s not personal, she can’t really get offended.

Ex: Don’t do it! (Don’t buy that/Don’t go in there, etc.) [and typically
follow up with “just kidding”].

Ex: Don’t gimme that look.

Ex: Wow, I hate x (where x is unrelated to her).

Nonphysical Compliment
Compliments are great—but physical compliments make you look needy
or like you’re only interested in sex. Also, a compliment should not
appear as if you’re buttering her up for something.

Ex: I love your (look, smile, dress, shoes, style, etc.). Ex: That
(whatever she just did) was amazing.

Ex: You just had the most adorable expression.

Mini Cold Read

Light, funny observation that causes her introspection but is
nonthreatening.

Ex: Wow, you are so (California, New York, soulful, stylish, business
casual, etc.).

Ex: You remind me of (insert name of a cartoon character, movie star,

etc.).

Ex: You seem very (insert adjective, i.e., quirky, stylish, businesslike).
Push-Pull
Give a compliment and a negative statement in the same sentence.

Ex: You look like trouble . . . in the most adorable way.

Ex: You seem fun . . . but I don’t know you yet, so who knows? You
might be totally weird.

Ex: That (refer to item or action) was awful, but you actually seem
pretty okay.

Setup Punch
Start towards a cliché, then change it up. Good for humor and shock
value.

Ex: Are you shy? I’ve been here for at least five minutes and you
haven’t come over and complimented me or grabbed my ass yet, so I
thought you must be shy. . . .

Ex: Hi, you looked bored, so I thought I’d come over here and amuse .
. . myself.

Ex: You have such nice . . . timing. You’re lucky I came here today.

Statement of Lighthearted Arrogance

Say something massively arrogant but in a way that’s silly or fun enough
that it’s not off-putting (should be said with a smile).

Ex: I’m sorry, hate to bother you, but I was wondering if you’d by any
chance noticed how ridiculously attractive I am.

Ex: Hi, I’m Todd. I thought I’d grace you with my presence for a
moment.

Ex: Hi, I saw you noticing me. I thought I’d help you out by
introducing myself.

False Indirect
Starts indirect, but as soon as there’s a positive response, immediately go
direct.

Ex: Hey, are you from . . . Actually, you’re quite cute. Who are you?

Ex: Hey, I need your opinion. . . . Actually, you seem rather

interesting. What’s your name?

Ex: Hey, where’s the— Oh, you know what? I like your (x).
Field-Tested Attraction Lines
These lines and formats will help to ensure you’re always in interactions
that are both enjoyable and man-to-woman. However, always remember
that attitude is more important than technique.

Push-Pull
Give a compliment and a negative statement in the same sentence.

Ex: Do you know what I love about you? Absolutely nothing.

Ex: You seem pretty cool . . . sort of.

Ex: I hate that I . . . am enjoying you so much.

Mini Cold Read

Light, funny observation that causes her introspection but is
nonthreatening. It also helps if the mini cold reads are slightly
desexualizing.

Ex: You’re like a cartoon of a Russian spy.

Ex: You’re so cute, you’re like my neighbor’s kitten.

Ex: You’re so feisty—like an angry penguin.

Misinterpretation
Imply the most positive meaning of something, or imply that she likes
you, often in response to something she said.

Ex: She says: I have to go home. You say: Wow, we should take
things slow. We’ve only just met each other.

Ex: She says: You’re very cocky. You say: Thanks for noticing.

Ex: She says: That’s a very unusual shirt. You say: Please stop staring
at my chest. My eyes are up here.

Open Loop
This is when you either change subjects at a high point in the
conversation or give mysterious or indirect answers to make a girl chase
you or ask more questions.

Ex: She says: What do you do? You say: I try not to work too hard.

Ex: And the thing I noticed about you that I really like is . . . Wait,
that’s such a cute dog over there. Aw.

Ex: Let’s . . . Oh, actually. I don’t know you that well. Maybe we
should do that later. Anyway . . .

Neg
Literally, a negative compliment. But what it really is is a statement that
is about the girl in such a way that it puts her in her head. (It is not an
overt insult.)

Ex: You blink a lot.

Ex: You’re a very . . . interesting person.

Ex: You know what? You’re actually not so bad.

Humble Brag
Say something about yourself that’s highly attractive, but frame it as
though it’s humble or negative.

Ex: It’s really been hard to get to the gym since I’ve been traveling
around the world so much.

Ex: I just can’t seem to stop getting pulled over in my brand-new car.

Ex: Sorry if I seem a little out of sorts. My assistant was running late
today.

Future Adventure Projection

Create a funny or interesting imaginary plotline for the two of you that’s
simultaneously fun and builds intimacy.

Ex: I want to get married and divorced to you and take half your
money.

Ex: We should run a sports team together. I can be the manager, and
you can be the lovable mascot who captures everybody’s heart.

Ex: Let’s go to the playground and pretend we’re little kids again. But
if you’re mean, I’ll pull your hair and throw sand in your face.
Guide to Approaches in Various
Venues
Nightclub
The big enemy here is volume and stimulus. You need to bring high
energy, be noticed, and try to get to a quieter place when you can. Go
from the dance floor to an outdoor patio or to the bar. Embrace the
chaos—don’t try to fight it.

Bar/Lounge
Here you have a mix of daygame and nightgame. So you still need to
bring high energy because it’s a high-intensity atmosphere, but you can
actually be heard and verbal game will matter a lot more. The biggest
struggle is handling the girl’s friends—being accepted by them early on
and then getting one-on-one time with your girl at some point during the
interaction.

The Street
The thing that makes street game difficult is that girls are in motion and
going to a specific location, so you have to make the decision to stop the
girl or walk with her, and what you ultimately decide is based on the
compliance level of the set.
If you think you can stop the girl, do it. If there are multiple girls, stop
the front one. If you choose to walk with, then walk with either the front
girl or your target. Use your judgment.

Also, it’s very important to find out what a girl’s time constraint is. It
may be that you have thirty seconds to talk to a girl, or she may have
only thirty seconds to talk to you—or maybe she has all day. The key
question for finding out how much time you have is: “What are you
doing this exact second?”

Malls and Grocery Stores

These venues are similar to the street, with the exception that people
usually have longer to hang out—especially in the case of a mall. That
said, still bear in mind stopping vs. walking with, and be very cognizant
of what a girl’s time constraint is.

And though it may make you uncomfortable to go into a store just to

approach a girl, it’s probably easier because you won’t have to stop her.
Just make sure you do the approach in a way that you don’t let on that
you thought it was awkward. Also, try to catch girls when they’re not
“engaged in the wheels of capitalism” (so not when actively buying or
talking to a store clerk) but instead when they’re browsing or just
walking around. Interrupting business transactions is a good way to
offend people—or even be removed from the premises.
The Park/Beach
In these two types of locations, you have two massive advantages.

Girls will often be in a fixed area, so you won’t have to stop them.
Girls are almost always in leisure time, so you’ll have a longer window
to get to know them and convey your personality.

Try for a fun, casual, non-rushed vibe. Join the girl or her and her group,
sit with them, and join in whatever activity, if possible. Find out the time
frame, but assume you have more time to work with than in other
locations.

Also, a specific note for girls in bikinis or girls sunbathing: if you are
normal about them being half-clothed, they will be normal too. If it
seems like a big deal to you, it will be awkward for them.

Cafés and Restaurants

Here you have more inherent advantages: the girl will almost always be
sitting—or standing in line with you—so you have easy logistics for the
approach. The thing that can make this approach difficult is that the girl
will sometimes be busy doing something, so you might literally be
interrupting. Or, what’s maybe more important, is most guys will feel
like they’re interrupting, especially when there are onlookers.

You need to understand that if you’re trying to make an interaction non-

awkward, you’ll almost certainly make it awkward. It’s best to just
assume that doing the approach is normal, and then calibrate if
necessary. Then, if the social pressure of onlookers turns out to be an
issue for the girl, it’s okay for you to apologize for startling her. But
never apologize for yourself or act like doing the pickup itself was wrong
in any way.

Bookstores, Libraries, + Museums

Here your advantage, again, is that the girl is not on “work time” (unless
maybe she’s frantically grabbing books for a term paper). So girls in these
venues do have more freedom and, usually, willingness to hang out.
The biggest thing working against you here is that speaking loudly is
considered rude, or that this is a study time not to be interrupted. So
think of these places like you would the café— but more so. Do the
approach in a way that you assume is non-awkward (though don’t be
over-the-top) and be willing to apologize if necessary, but again, never
apologize for yourself or the approach.

Public Transit
For all public transit, realize that the easiest way to start the interaction
is before you get on the bus, train, or airplane—whether you’re at the bus
station, on the subway platform, or in the terminal. It’s obviously key to
sit/stand next to or near the object of your affection and, ideally, start
talking immediately when you sit (or stand). The longer you’re next to a
girl in awkward silence, the more difficult the entire interaction will be.
One special note on airplanes is that you have less direct communication
because there are assigned seats, so unless you hope to get lucky and sit
next to the hot girl at your gate, start the interaction in the terminal and
then make the suggestion to sit next to her on the plane. It helps if you
have an aisle or window seat, because most people will readily switch
seats with you.

Also, in all three cases, adjust to the time commitment. Gaming on a

sixteen-hour flight is obviously different from gaming on a thirty-second
subway ride. And, of course, find out what travel plans you’re dealing
with.

The Gym
The gym is great because attractive girls usually go to gyms; what’s not
great is that these girls are pretty much always in the middle of
something. So, if possible, approach them in a non-annoying way. Open
when they are between sets or exercises, and use a time constraint. Do
not make them feel like you’re going to be there all day.

Also, most people go to the same gym repeatedly, so if that’s the case, it
helps to end your interactions on a positive note. Because one, you may
see the girl again, and two, if you become an approach machine at the
gym, you might earn a reputation. So you want to approach in a fun,
friendly way—not a polarizing, burn-it-to-the-ground kind of way.
Barbecues, Picnics, Festivals, House Parties, +
Campuses
This is the ultimate casual, friendly situation in which girls have time,
which is obviously to your benefit. The secret here is not to treat your
interaction like a pure cold approach. Assume the girls will be friendly.
Talk and mingle with a lot of people, and build a social vibe instead of
trying to be a sniper.

The same concept goes on a more macro scale for campuses, where
you’re building a vibe and reputation over an extended period of time, as
opposed to just one event.

The Waitress, Hostess, or Shopgirl

These girls can be difficult, but they can also be some of the most
rewarding because they’re often by definition hot. The key thing to
understand here is that they are working, and they can get in trouble if
talking to you interferes with that. Most girls probably aren’t willing to
lose their jobs to talk to a stranger.

However, you do have an advantage, which is that they are almost

obligated to talk to you and be friendly. So the plan of action here is to
time constrain yourself and run the set more quickly. You probably
won’t have an hour to build a deep connection with a girl, but if you
grab her attention quickly and close on a high note, you can continue the
interaction later on in a positive way.

It’s also important in many instances to avoid the “customer” frame*;

you want to make it clear that you’re not there looking to buy
something, but that you’re being social and fun. Some girls have specific
rules about not dating customers and may not go along with this, but
that’s just part of the game and something you’ll have accommodate. In
most cases, if your vibe is excellent, you can overcome this.

*Although, sometimes you can fake the customer frame in front of a

girl’s manager to 1). buy yourself time, 2). avoid getting her in trouble,
and 3). create an us vs. the world frame.