Jetta IV VR6 manual shifter lash

Hi everybody,

the shifter of my manual VR6 has a lot of lateral lash. In 4th gear, I can move it laterally about 3/8in more both left and right than on a new vehicle. In 5th gear, it can't be moved left but has about 3/4 in freeplay to the right.

I heard there is a ball in the shift mechanism that can wear out. Does anybody have experience with this? Is it really this ball or could it be any other part that broke? What is the best place to get (cheap) replacement parts?

thanks for any help!