Level 4-7 strategy

[Jibs]

I'm pretty new to this forum but absolutely love it and I feel that it is really improved my SNG performance - so please bear with me as i discuss a topic that has almost undoubtedly been talked about may times before.

I am a decent player who plays by the book following pretty much the AloeMagnus 'how to beat the 10+1' strategy and a lot of the advice in the FAQ. On top of this i play quite an intuitive game so will mix in a bit of bluffing when the time is right. Consequently although my sample is small, my ROI is 35-40% and my ITM is c. 50%. HOwever lately, i seem to be doing worse and my ROI is continually coming down.

This is i think because i have a problem in that i almost always seem to get really tight on myself from about level 4 onwards. Early on (i'm playing pokerroom 10+1 where you start with t1500) i do quite well against the maniacs and can often build myself up to around t2500 to t3000. However when we get down to 5-6 players, i just can't seem to build on this and ebb and flow to the point where we are down to say 4 and the blinds are 100-200 and I have say t1500. It seems rare unless i get an unbelievable hand that i get to the position where i have say 4,000 plus. Consequently i either am going out on the bubble or scraping in to 3rd position.

In fact if i look back i have hardly ever come 6th or 7th which must be at the crux of my problem - not that i want to especially come 6th or 7th!! It seems to me that I am avoiding showdowns in these situations and running scared - i know i am answering my own questions here but really would appreciate some good advice as to how i get out of this.

1. Should i be limping in more. In my defence the good hands do seem to dry up for me in these levels and i just hate risking a Q3 or K5 even from the button.
2. Should i be playing my unsuited connectors?
3. Should i raise from less obvious places like MP or even UTG?

As i said, i kind of know my problem here and no that i need to loosen up, its just a matter of how and when.

Thanks for any advice guys.

[RobGW]

Limp in more in the early rounds. Implied odds are good if you hit a big hand especially with the bad players still in. In the later rounds when the blinds are big it is time to shift gears and be aggressive.