Me and My Racket: Kevin Anderson
Originally published on 07/12/15 00:00
How long have you been playing with Srixon? This is my second season. At the end of 2013 they approached me through my management team and I said I would be willing to try the racket out. It was one of those things where I liked it from the first time I hit with it. Changing rackets is never easy; throughout my career I’ve pretty much stuck with the same racket and even in college [Anderson played at the University of Illinois] I tried hitting with a couple and you can tell almost straight away if it’s something you can play with or not. I really like the racket, I feel like it adds quite a bit to my game. It is always a gamble to switch rackets because it is such a big change but fortunately it really worked out well for me.
The brand isn’t that well known outside of Asia. How much did you know about them?
They are quite big in golf and they also own Cleveland Golf as well. I know that the company is looking to expand and really make a push in tennis so it feels exciting to be part of something new as well, almost like the brand ambassador for men’s tennis. It’s not just about the racket; the relationship I’ve formed with the guys at Srixon has been great and the support they’ve given me has been terrific.
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What do you look for in a racket?
Just something that feels comfortable. I think the best word to describe it would be ‘lively’. I want the ball to come off the racket but something I can still control at the same time. I’ve put quite a bit more weight on the racket, which has worked out well. I want something that works for my game; obviously my serve and my groundstrokes are my main shots, and I need a racket that assists those strokes. That's important. ´è_´è_´è_´è_
What strings and grip size do you use?
Right now, I’m using gut in the mains and synthetic in the crosses. My grips are 41⁄2. And, yes, I grip my rackets myself.
Do you remember your first racket?
I remember I had a white Yamaha racket when I was about six or seven years old. I remember that because I had never broken a string before and I was really keen to so I actually cut them myself and showed my dad that I broke a string and had it restrung. I don’t think I have it still; maybe my parents have it in their basement but I haven’t seen it in years.
Do you keep any of your old rackets for sentimental reasons?
Not really. I try to give them to different people to use or donate them to charity. I’ve kept a couple but I haven’t got hoards of rackets at home.
You’re a pretty cool character on court. How many rackets would you say you’ve smashed during your career? Unfortunately, I did smash a racket in Brisbane earlier this year. But I’ve been pretty good; I’ve only broken a couple in my career. I’m not someone who smashes up too many rackets
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