A telescopic drive shaft in a protective tube of a handheld work apparatus has one end connected to a rotational drive and the other end thereof to a driven tool. The drive shaft includes a rigid shaft segment and a connecting section. The rigid shaft segment has a hollow shaft end portion and an engagement length (E) of the connecting section engages therein. The engagement length (E) and the length of the hollow shaft end portion mutually overlap to form a joining section. The hollow shaft end portion is deformed for connecting the connecting section to the rigid shaft segment. The material of the hollow shaft end portion is compressed over its entire periphery and deformed so that the material of the hollow shaft end portion is radially displaced and is pressed in a rotative manner onto the engagement length (E) to produce a balanced, loadable connection.