My experience...

Ok, so I've hit the books for the last two years, worked on body language, facial expressions, inner game, tonality... everything. Now I've got a great wing who I'm training. I actually forget that I know so much until he asks me something. The other night we were out and I explained the basics again... He's awesome. Everything I say to do, HE DOES! No approach anxiety at all... well a little. But I light a fire and he GOES! So the other night: We're hanging in a trendy bar about 9pm before it gets crazy and I say, "Go talk to those girls". I gave him a simple opinion opener and the "open seat gambit". He opens by leaning in and saying "is this seat taken?". They say "yes our friend will be right back". He gets stymied and bails. I didn't give him enough to go on... so that was my fault. But he did well later on. I told him what went wrong with that interaction...

*** The "open seat gambit" is field tested and PUA approved.
Basically, over the shoulder body language, "Is this seat taken?" (implying that you want to take the seat) It doesn't matter if they say YES or NO. You say, "Great, I'll only be a minute, I have to get back to my friends" with a smile and sit down at the table. Then immediately use an opener.

Next time my protege needs to do:
over the shoulder body language.
take everything as positive (example: "Oh, it's taken? I'll just be a minute.")
false time constraint.
NO LEANING IN!!