Q: “Is it okay to skip gears when downshifting? For example, instead of a 5-4-3-2 brake and downshift, if your transmission allows, could you bypass shifting into 4^th and 3^rd and just shift into 2^nd from 5^th at the same point?”

A: Yes. I do recommend doing this – skip-shifting on downshifts – as long as you’re proficient at the timing of your downshifts. The key is to wait long enough to make the final one downshift. As you can imagine, if you downshift from 5^th to 2^nd too early, and/or you don’t match the revs with a good heel & toe, you’ll either over-rev the engine, or upset the car’s balance.

I have another tip article about skip-shifting here: “Skip Shift: What Is It?”