Abstract: A shovel having a shock absorbing element in its hand-grip in conjunction with a rigid shaft. The rigid shaft maintains the strength and rigidity required for heavy tasks, while the hand-grip provides yielding movements so as to absorb shock force without compromising the strength of the overall shovel. The hand-grip itself can also be adapted such that it can easily be affixed to, and removed from, the shafts of different shovels, allowing for interchangeability of hand-grips between shovels.