If you're a guy and you watch television, it would appear there is something wrong with you if you can't go out and hook up with a random girl any night of the week. This is because fantasy sells. In the real world, girls are not so easy and guys are not so confident. There are things you can do though, to help. Below are ten practical tips on how to get a girl if you're really shy.

1 - Arrange to meet incidentally. There are places you can go where just by being there you sort of have to meet the people that are there too. Go to town meetings, for example, or church groups. Go to single's dances or art fairs. These are places women go, quite often single women, and are generally free of stress.

2 - Go where you can show off what you have. Join a club if you have a hobby, or even if you don't. If you are good at something, say chess, or video games, join a club where women will see you doing well at something. They like that, and some might even introduce themselves.

3 - Avoid gaggles of girls. In general, if you are a shy guy, it's best to avoid women when they are together in a small group. It's very difficult to meet any of them that way and there is almost always a high risk of embarrassment for you.

4 - Dress and groom very well. One way to help you get noticed by women, is to dress exceptionally well. Also, keep your hands and nails looking nice. And always smell good. Women notice all these things and will be much more open and receptive to you if you impress them with how you groom yourself.

5 - Do something where they come to you. Something you could do to help you meet a girl is to volunteer for things that girls come to see or do. For example you could help with a blood or book drive. Or help out backstage at your local community theater.

6 - Attend events where they couple you. One great way to meet girls is to go to events where they actually hook you up with a girl. They do this at certain dances, and of course if you take dance lessons. Also there are times when you are set up with someone, hopefully a girl on a school or work project. The key here is to lay the groundwork. Like say, learning to dance, or signing up for school or work projects.

7 - Focus on aggressive girls. It might sound contrary, but one thing a shy guy can do is try to focus more on strong or aggressive girls. Not as in brassy necessarily, or obnoxious, but girls who aren't afraid to talk to a guy first, or to ask him out. Some of these kinds of girls actually prefer shy guys. Seek them out, then let them seek you out.

8 - Encourage blind dates. While it's true that getting set up on a blind date might seem a little embarrassing, like you can't get a girl to go out with you on your own or something, go ahead and encourage everyone you know to hook you up. Swallow your pride and go out with whoever will have you. The more you date, the easier it becomes, and as you get better at it, perhaps it will help with the shyness.

9 - Try hand-outs. If you get desperate and just can't seem to break out of your shyness, try printing something like this on the back of a business card: "I'm very shy, but great once you get to know me, please try harder," and then simply handing it to a girl at an opportune moment.

10 - Focus on reality. One of the things about being shy is, you tend to become isolated and begin to fantasize or obsess about things that you can't possibly ever have. Try not to do this. Keep your thoughts on real world girls. Girls that are in your league and that you might have an actual chance with. Otherwise, you'll wind up always alone in your head, and meeting anyone real.

These ten practical tips on how to get a girl if you're really shy are for all the shy guys out there who have trouble meeting, talking and getting to know girls, much less getting one as a girlfriend. If you are such a guy, I hope these tips help, and that you find someone and that both of you are happy. Good luck.