If it's not smooth, you're probably coming off the clutch pedal too fast. Some people, when learning how to drive stick, get in the habit of letting the clutch out slowly in 1st gear to take off, but very quickly drop the clutch on other shifts. In 2nd, this will make the car buck if the rpms don't align properly. It becomes less noticeable when shifting into the higher gears because of the gearing ratios are more forgiving.

So, for now, try slowing down with the clutch when engaging 2nd. Know where the friction/engagement point is in the clutch travel, and pause at that point when engaging 2nd. As experience with the car (and shifting/clutch operation in general) you'll find you will match the rpms better and need less and less of a pause. When you've truly mastered it, you'll need none.

 

What year is your car?

 

If you think too much about smooth shifting, you won't.
Don't think about it, do it naturally.
It is like breathing. If you tell yourself that you want to breath normally and are conscious of it you will never be able to breath "normally" or naturally. Don't think about it and you can do it in your sleep

The same goes for shifting smoothly, concentrate on the traffic around you, mind the road, enjoy the scenery and the fun of piloting an enthusiasts dream and the shifting will come naturally..........stop focusing on smooth shifting..........start focusing on the fun you are having driving.......hear the engine and shift with your ears........

 

I responded to his PM with pretty much everything that has been suggested here and few other things to help him along. I'm sure he's merely looking for a "second" opinion and that's just fine. Time and practice is all he needs now.

 

A little buck here and there won't hurt right?

 

I can't get though the post. It hurts me head to read it. Sorry dude, I can't help you. But I can tell you shift above 6000 RPMS and rev the engine to stay there to get optimal power out of the car. But like xviper said.... you just need practice now.

 

New here, but maybe this will help. For me the key to a smooth shift is getting the timing of the throttle and clutch engagement correct. In normal driving my upshifts are at 4000 to 4500 rpm. Don't put the clutch to the floor, it doesn't need to go there at all. I use the first 1/3rd of the travel for every shift, no problems with grinding at all (unless I'm thinking about the 2-3 shift then I usually miss badly).

Let off the throttle just a bit as you disengage the clutch, make your shift, and as you start to engage the clutch come back on the power smoothly, don't jab at it. Shoot for smoothness not speed in your shifts, with smoothness, speed will come. But work on being smooth first, then you'll naturally become faster.

Practice, practice, practice. That is the only way to get smooth shifts, learn the car, learn the shifts, be relaxed, and get to the point where the shift is automatic. I rarely look at the tach, I shift by sound and sensation. The S2K provides great aural and seat of the pants feedback (this is why we love them), and you should be able to get to a point of shifting effortlessly while keeping your eyes out of the cockpit and on the road.

Jim

 

DISCLAIMER: This is my opinion only!
Using only the first 1/3 of the clutch travel will barely begin the clutch disengagement and is a BAD recommendation for someone trying to learn to drive stick. (A fully disengaged clutch will be more forgiving of mistakes made during a shift. A "partially" disengaged clutch will NOT and will only create more problems for the newbie than what it will resolve - and I can't think of too many things that this technique will resolve for a novice.) Doing it this way is almost like a clutchless shift and requires a great deal of luck OR a great deal of spot on rev matching. If luck and skill is not on your side, you will risk a good possibility of transmission damage. If you carry this technique into "spirited" driving, one day you will loose more than just a few teeth.
This is one method that "might" work for 1 in a thousand people learning how to drive stick. For the other 999? ..................... THIS AIN'T IT!

 

You're probably right. I've been driving a stick for over 20 years, and this method works fine for me as I've grown accustomed to the technique. Maybe not the best idea for getting smoothness at the beginning and I should have left that out. My bad.

FYI, my manual shift cars:

1969 Toyota Corolla (right hand drive, was my car when in Japan)
1967 Alfa Romeo GT (longest shift throw of any of the rest)
1991 Chevy Camaro (this was a mistake, shouldn't have bought this car)
1979 BMW 325iX
1988 Acura Integra RS
1999 Audi A4 Turbo
2003 S2K

Jim