"Are you sarging?"

[Vector]

El Fenix and I were out, doing our usual thing (talking to girls, being generally social with everyone). Someone comes up to him and says, "are you sarging?"

It turns out gamemaker and skeleton_kiss, whom we had never met before, had seen us approach a few sets and from how we carried ourselves correctly guessed that we were from the community.

Cool guys, both of them.

They hadn't opened very many sets so far, so Fenix and I talked some basic game fundamentals (which I think they already knew) and just started pushing them into sets. You guys both have good potential, it's just a matter of getting out in field and putting it into practice.


Just recently I've consciously realized how I like to run an opinion opener, or a similar "spontaneous" opener. The way I was taught, I would be walking past, and "just happen to notice" and open over my shoulder with an opinion question. It feels weird though because even though it's indirect, I feel awkward because i think they're going to know that I started talking to them on purpose.

So instead, wing and I will walk, and we'll stop near a set I want to open. We'll talk for a couple minutes, about whatever, and then I'll open over the shoulder with something. It feels so much more natural.

Thinking back, I've done this a lot, but I didn't really notice the pattern to what I was doing.

Those of you who have been out with me, especially recently, can probably think of examples where I've done this. Now that I think of it, I do it this way most of the time I think.


Skeleton_kiss and gamemaker, y'all are cool and need to hang out with us again. You've got potential. All you need is to be out in field and opening sets.

[gamemaker]

It was a pleasure meeting you two as well. Watching you guys open sets really helped blow out a great deal of my approach anxiety. Thanks for letting sit in with you, contact us any time you feel like sarging.

[El Fenix]

Had a great time man. Your question of "are you guys sarging?" made me laugh when I thought about it.

Thats the first time anyone has EVER come up to me in field and wondered(in this case knew)what were doing. If anyone else has known, they havent said.

A lot of guys think they will be busted using the same routines and openers. Thats the first tive I've been "caught" in field, and it was by you guys.
There is nothing to fear, except LMR!

[Rhody]

I can't help but think about that Saturday night when Vector, Fenix, Dex and I were at Zephyr on Lower Greenville. Vector isolated his target and Fenix, Dex, and I opened a couple of sets on the patio. I couldn't help but feel like Vector's target was watching, wondering why we kept talking to people we didn't know. Then I resolved it by thinking we had qualities that she liked in Vector. After all, she would not have met him if he didn't have the balls to talk to someone he didn't know. We were just being friendly people.

Only someone in the community would recognize the body language, posturing, etc. of the pickup. In fact, in order to be a good wing, I think you need to be able to recognize who the target is from far away so you can get in set and occupy the obstacles. Reading body language is very important. Impressive job by gamemaker and skeleton_kiss, IMO.

[quipster]

Only someone in the community would recognize the body language, posturing, etc. of the pickup.

I am not sure if I agree with this or not. If it is that obvious that you are "sarging" then something isn’t quite right. If you notice someone doing a particular routine/move then it’s understandable to think they might be in the community.

-quip

[El Fenix]

I'm quoting Gamemaker, and he may want to chime in on this, there were 3 things that tipped them off:
MY crazy cowboy hat
Vectors camera
and us opening mixed sets by talking to guys first.
Also, I'm assuming they saw that we had no approach anxiety also. The opening over the shoulder thing may be a giveaway also.

Those are all things that are giveaways in the community, but mostly unknown outside of it to my knowledge.

[Vector]

Only someone in the community would recognize the body language, posturing, etc. of the pickup.

I am not sure if I agree with this or not. If it is that obvious that you are "sarging" then something isn’t quite right.

A good sarge definitely shouldn't look like an amateur pickup (leaning in, pecking, facing directly, buying drinks, etc.).

Even a well-executed sarge shouldn't be obvious, but there might be telltale signs.

Actually earlier that night, El Fenix and I were at Blackfinn, and saw an approach. We were wondering whether the guy might be from the community. My back was to them so I couldn't really watch without being awkward. I asked, "has he touched her yet?" "Nope." "Then probably not from the community."

Several weeks ago I was out with WD and a target/pivot. I opened a pretty hot 2-set while my girl was standing right next to me. The set opened well and we flirted. By the time we left they were demanding WD's number. Later the girl told me, "oh, I thought you knew them!" I thought to myself, perfect!

[gamemaker]

Sorry for the late reply to this topic. The reason I thought they were PUAs, in my opinion, was because they were doing everything right. Had I seen something that I viewed as uncharacteristic of a PUA I would have been less likely to approach for fear of being wrong. They can tell you my friend and I had approach anxiety so for me to go up to them and say, "Are you sarging?" would have to be because I was confident enough in the way they presented themselves to the room to feel comfortable with my chances of not being "rejected". I will admit that I haven't been out with a lot of PUAs, so I can't honestly say how good they are compared to others, but I saw no flaws in the way they conducted themselves.

[Merco]

I've was out of town the earlier part of the week, so this was the first time I have had a chance to see this thread. It's late but I still wanna say thanks again to Vector and El Fenix. Watching your guys really put the pieces together for me. When we were all sitting at the table and Vector just backed into a two set, still in his chair no doubt, and opened them I was in awe. He had the girl completely eating out of his had and the guy was stumped. I said to myself, "It really is THAT easy."

Since I got back in town last night I went to Denton and took my first real opportunity to open sets, and opened three that night very successfully. It's all baby steps leading to great strides from here on out, Gamemaker and I just needed to get past (pushed past i should say) that little pot hole that was staring us down. I appreciate that night so much. The funny thing was Gamemaker and I were sitting there that night saying we needed to see approach in action and then maybe we could get going.

Anyway, thanks guys, and lets definitely get together again.