Hey, my car has issues

When i bought my car a couple weeks ago, it shifted beautifully, but the shifter felt loose. (it rotated, not the knob, the shifter itself) Now it's gotten worse and grinds gears a lot. It hates downshifting unless I double clutch. I really don't want a new tranny on the car I just bought. It's sitting in my parking space now and I'm using an alternate car. HELP PLEASE!!

What i've tried:
The shifter seems to tighten in one direction. I tried to tighten it but it loosens itself. i didn't know short shifter were 2 piece jobbies... even when tightened, it doesn't downshift smoothly.

Now I'm double clutching all the time. It's cool, but much slower than just revmatching.

Another thought: could it be that the clutch isn't engaging/disengaging all the way?

Thanks so much,

JackoliciousLegs