I'm not sure what compelled the manufacturer to change the Chuckit stick the way they did but it is now complete garbage. It's totally flimsy, hard to throw, and hard to grab the ball from the ground. The old design it a million times better. If you are a returning customer thinking that you're getting the old Chuckit stick that's sturdy and has that nice rubber grip, DO NOT BUY THIS. This feels like a cheap knock-off but the sad thing is that it IS a Chuckit product. Just save yourself the aggravation and walk away.