One of the questions single women always ask me is whether hitting on guys is a good move. I know why they're conflicted. We are socialized to believe that when it comes to the game of love, single men should be on permanent offense. And I'll admit that on the exceedingly rare occasions when a woman has approached me at the bar, I don't know how to react. But that's not to say available women should play the role of damsel in distress when they spot Prince Charming. You just need to be strategic in your approach.

The key to successfully putting the moves on a guy is not being too overt about it. You want him to leave the encounter feeling like a stud even though you were the one with the courage to start things off.

Here are a few ideas you can try out, preferably at a club or party:

Dating Move #1: Ask him to settle an argument. This one requires some help from a combative girlfriend. Maneuver yourself close to your target and then start pushing your homegirl's buttons with provocative assertions like "Dave Coulier was cuter than John Stamos." When things start getting heated, ask your crush to play tiebreaker. Soon enough you'll be the Rebecca to his Uncle Jesse.

Dating Move #2: Ask him where he got his shirt. He'll probably say, "I dunno, it's just a shirt," but that's only because he doesn't want to seem like a wussy fashion heva. Odds are he knows who designed his shirt and is tickled that you asked. If you're feeling especially bold, reach around his neck and look at the tag.

Dating Move #3: Tell him he looks like a high school classmate. Maybe this is immoral, but I'd also advise making up some crazy story about the dude just to get the ball rolling. As long as you're not trying to make yourself look good, I think tall tales are a perfectly acceptable courting tool. And if you end up together, it will be a cute story for the kids.

Dating Move #4: Ask him if he knows what song is playing. This gives him a chance to show off his music cred, and if you show him you're into the tunes, it's the perfect lead-in for him to ask you to dance. But be judicious with your song choices; if you ask him during the national anthem, he might suspect you're up to something.