Need some help with shifting.

Gauge

Firstly, please don't make fun. I have a thick skin from the military, but please don't outright insult me. I take criticism well, so just say it matter of factly and I'll be good.

My problem is that I am struggling really bad with shifting in this car. I constantly jump, and have even stalled a few times (<-- NOOB). My first two cars were standard and I never had this much difficulty driving one. The clutch feels like it catches so easy, like there is a micron range on the clutch pedal that the catch happens, giving me very little time to actually put gas on it.

All the action on the clutch seems to happen at the top end of the clutch pedal, almost like the bottom half is just for fun. So this means that not only is the clutch catch happening in a small area, the entire clutch is happening on about the top 25% of the pedal depression. Or at least that's what it feels like to me.

I can shift smooth, but only when I'm reving the **** out of it and it makes me feel like I'm going to burn the clutch out.

Is there anyways you guys can be very specific on how you shift correctly. Mostly my problem is from a standing stop. I don't even seem to have any problems in reverse, it's wierd, just first gear. As far as the other gears I just shift at higher RPM's and it seems to shift smooth. I've never had a sports car before so any advice you could give is helpful.