Pick Up Artist

I struggled with whether or not to put David Wygant on the list this year.  The man will be the first to admit that he isn’t a “pick up artist,” so to speak.  And there are some traits about him that worry me a little.  However, I cannot argue that the man has game.

First of all, David is probably the OLDEST person on this list, being in his mid-to-late 40s.  Yet, he still is able to get some very attractive women.  The guy is also Mr. Charisma.  Give him a minute to talk your ear off, and you can’t help but be enraptured by the guy.

Out of all the people on the list, David Wygant is most like “Hitch” from the movie.  He doesn’t do bootcamps, focusing on the one-on-one dating doctor style.  David puts more of a focus on Day Game, and meeting women naturally as you go about your life.  He tends to stay out of the bar/club scene (a factor which is older clients really love).  In fact, he says the best place to meet women is while waiting in line!

Probably the biggest reason I decided to rank David in this year’s list is because 2008 saw him actively reaching out to the Seduction Community.  He’s begun to be more involved, not only as a guest speaker at seminars, but also in other people products, making a notable appearance in videos created by both Mehow and Johnny Wolf.

The one criticism I have of David’s game is that I’ve found he tends to rely too much on his dog as prop.  Seriously, he takes his dog EVERYWHERE.  His typical MO is to sit outside with his dog at a coffee shop and wait for girls to come up and start playing with his pooch.  That’s not to say he can’t get a girl without the dog, he certainly can, but this just seems like a lazy technique to me.

That being said, there is no denying David’s skill as both a PUA and a teacher.  His website is full of great information, ranging from his blog to his product.  David is also notable because he gives free lifetime email support to his clients.  The man spends most of his time on his Blackberry answering questions from frazzled clients, fer crying out loud.

I can also see David really striking a chord with the older crowd in the community, since he’s probably the oldest guy out there (legitimately) teaching this stuff.

Yes, what Top 10 list would be complete without the Godfather himself – Style!  I’m sure you’re all aware of my undying fondness of Neil and his skills, having ranked the man as #1 almost consistently since I started the Top 10 back in 2004.  Last year he lost out to Mystery, slipping to #2, and this year he drops one more point to #3.

But make no mistake – I was seriously considering ranking Style at #1 this year again.  After all, if you had a No-Holds-Barred Steel Cage match between Style, Brad P, and AFC Adam, I am convinced the only man left standing at the end would be Neil.  The sheer skill level this man has in social situations dwarfs anything seen by either Brad P. or Adam.

But alas, this ranking is not just about skill.  One of the unfortunate side-effects of being one of “the best” in the game is that you’ll naturally withdraw from the mere mortals who got you there in the first place.  Style was marginally quiet in 2008, mostly because he was writing some new books that had nothing to do with the Game.

However, through his Stylelife company, he still contributed a number of great works, and his seminars were amazing – crossing the “community” barrier to bring in speakers for various different aspects of a guy’s life, like health, fitness, work, time management, etc.

Neil also continues to pull some of the hottest girls I’ve ever seen, and considering that he’s getting older, not growing any more hair on his head, and still isn’t winning any modeling contracts, says a great deal about the guy.

I know Style has gotten a lot of flack recently – mostly from Barry Kirkey, but a good bit from Stephane and other haters as well – but darn it!  I still like the guy!  And I think he’s got a lot to offer others, when he wants to.  Probably the reason I ranked him at #3 is because Style is not as forthcoming as he used to be when it comes to interacting with the community, and we’ve seen very little innovation from the guy in 2008 (though he usually keeps his new stuff to himself, to be fair).

Regardless, there is still no one better in the community to study and learn from than Style, in my humble opinion.  I am still amazed at this guy’s skill, and he was just narrowly beat out this year by two rising stars.