I live in a small town, or a fishbowl as they say, so a lot of women under thirty of all kinds know each other, especially the hot ones. I’m outside of that circle so to have a chance to date any I have to cold approach. Since starting to learn game a few years ago, I’ve done some really clumsy approaches that have rarely got me anything past a number. Now after a few years I’m starting to wonder if I’m getting a bad rep with some of these women since I can’t get anywhere with them. I play in a band, one of my few social outlets, and one girl I hit on was sitting in a few rows looked uncomfortable and after seeing her whisper in her friends ear walked off with her.

It just seems like there’s something in the grapevine about me since it seems like the door is shut even if my game has improved. Has anyone dealt with this? Can you run out of cold approaches where you’ve done so many that they know each other and eventually it gets around that you’re the shy desperate dork who’s always asking women out? Can you get a bad reputation? If so, how do you solve it, move to a city? Men (or women) what advice would you give here to keep practicing approaching and dating without it backfiring.