Just to calibrate everyone, I am use to a BMW 3-series manual gearbox and this is my first 997 driving expereince. I do not know what smooth as silk mean. Relatively speaking it is much stiffer than the BMW. However, I took my car to the dealer. The service manager checked and assured me that the shifter is "fine" for a 997. He also asked how I was shifting the car. It turns out that if I use the lower palm of my hand, shifting is much better. I did feel the difference once I started using his technique. I hope that I get use to this or it really loosens up so it feels like smooth as silk.