Looking for some guidance with macro

I have the Canon 100mm L IS macro. How do you guys get so close?? extension tubes?? I am a complete macro noob. I do have the yongnuo 14 ring flash which seems to work but I cant seem to focus close

I use the non-L 100mm. This is my second year doing macro. My first year, I did not use any tubes... This year I have pretty much kept a full set of tubes on for the entire season, with the exception of the odd large critter. There is much info over in the Macro Talk forum.

Many of the shots you see on the forum are taken above 1:1 magnification often using an MPE-65 lens.
However to make sure you are shooting at max magnification with you lens you need to turn off autofocus, set the lens manually at minimum focus and then focus on a subject by moving the camera towards it.
It's probably best to get used to shooting at 1:1 before trying out a set of ext tubes or an add on diopter to increase the magnification.
Brian v.

And take a look at LordV's tips link in his signature line. I learned a lot from reading here.