2014 year-end questions & commentary

Do you know the scoring average difference between the #1 pro in the world (Rory McIlroy) and the #100 golfer in the world (Rory Sabbatini)? It’s 69.5 vs. 71.5 – two whole strokes. In any sport, it’s all about the details. Assuming you have strong command of the fundamentals of your sport – winning a championship is not about doing something 100% better. Instead, it’s more about doing 100 things 1% better.

Do you think juniors who play with his grip will have wrist issues down the road? I’m not sure if it

will or won’t but looking at the grip knowing it requires a full swing every time makes me nervous.

Can money buy happiness? Per the article I read in the WSJ, it can, well at least until you make $75,000 per year. The real question here is should you pursue material possession or experiences? The answer is experiences. Go see your favorite artist perform, go to the Australian Open (just say’in), take that Caribbean cruise and by all means go to a tennis resort somewhere warm and indulge. We all get used to material possessions no matter what they are. Want to live in a swanky $1M home? Well, you’ll get used to the thrill in months. The same goes for fancy cars and expensive jewelry. I loved this article because the frugal Russell instantly thinks, “material possessions last longer and can be resold.” The reality is they are forgotten, lost, lose meaning or just fade away. What lasts is life, experiences, relationships and sharing with friends and family.

Why doesn’t your child want to play a certain sport they are good at? This may not have happened to you but my son won’t play soccer goalie. Kenny can build Lego’s without instructions. He has a geo-spatial gift that shows when he used to play goalie. He knows where to stand and when to come out of goal to cut down the angles. He’s an amazing goalie but when I pressed him he explained that “he’s letting his team down if he allows a goal.” I explained every soccer game has scoring but he’s still not playing goalie.

Did you know that 1.5M died last year from Tuberculosis, a curable disease? http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/22/health/tuberculosis-who-report/index.html

What’s the dirtiest object in your hotel room? The TV remote control is the dirtiest object in your room and never cleaned.

No one will claim that the TV remote, which is notoriously difficult to clean, is spic and span.

Will you spend more or less than the average Super Saturday Christmas shopper? Super Saturday is 12/20 and the average spend is $804 per shopper, up from $744 last year, a 5% increase.

Who is the greatest tennis player of all-time?

This is an easy one…