“I’ve had better luck with shidduchim suggested by friends and family.”
Beautiful! That is the BEST route, bar none! Continue pursuing that route.
“I’m not comfortable approaching girls and asking them out directly, that’s not how I was brought up.”
And that is the proper way to bring up Bnei Yisroel. So your parents brought you up quite well. 🙂
Following this proper derech, is why we the shidduch crisis is not much worse than it currently is.