Shy 14 year old son

[buddup]

Any suggestions on how to get my painfully shy son to feel more confident and come out of his shell a bit?

Does he have interests, hobbies?
It is generally much easier to talk to people about something you are passionate about, than to 'make small talk' if you are shy.

I'd recommend martial arts, particularly karate as it's non contact which a shy boy may prefer, alternatively body building