John Schmidt, talented

[Gerry]

John you are a great rep to the pool world!...OB-1 is lucky to have you. I had the opportunity to chat with you again this year and you remembered the wife and I from last year as we hung out and talked snooker with Ray.

Per you info I picked up the OB-2.....so far so good.

Missy&Gerry

 

[punter]

told you he'd say himself he wasn't a specialist no, im really just having fun messing around, cool of you to comment by the way john.

in all seriousness though, if you have ever seen a video of say miz in his 14.1 prime..... the way he ran the balls was evidentely very "specialist," whatever that really means. miz would run 100 and literally be strait in 1 foot away on every shot. then he'd get a slightly tough shot and miss it by 3 feet. while im not saying anybody is better or worse, john will run the balls very well also, perhaps with the slightest bit of lesser cueball control (of course this is arguable), but he will moe down that "tough" shot that miz dogged almost everytime, and do it in like 2 seconds too. what style is better? who knows, thats why we have tournaments

Nice of you to compliment John, but what's your problem with Mizerak? He was a great champion. Great champions don't 'dog it almost everytime.'

 

[john schmidt]

hi

Well stated John and it's good to hear that from a top player. I have long maintained that a top player is a top player period. I think a top player can learn new "games" on the pool table very very quickly and handle themselves well in any of them. How quickly to not be thought of as "weak"? I think that is unique to each player and situation. John has proven himself to be well rounded as a player through his accomplishments these past few years.

I don't know about you all but to me the Cinderalla story is when he came to AZ to ask for sponsorship and one of our own stepped up to put him in the event and he goes and wins it. At that time, to be brutally honest, I had John pegged as a top shortstop and he totally blew me away with his command of the game and showed me that he is upper echelon all the way.

And one last thing John, just to let you know that we are watching. John impresses me with his willingness to experiment and find new shots and his willingness to share them.

Last year or the year before in Valley Forge John was at the OB Cues booth and showing some shots to fans. John you had one shot where you would shoot the ball in the side I believe and make the cue ball come back the opposite side rail and reverse spin down for position on a ball on the bottom rail. I can't remember the exact shot because I was only stopped for just a minute but it looked incredibly useful and showed me your inventiveness and love for the game. Sometimes I wish I could stop and be just a fan and absorb those gold nuggets that you are willing to share. So, tap tap on your career so far and your good attitude towards the game and your fans.


Edit: I think I remember it - you would hit the cueball hard and it would go two rails back and forth from side to side and then the spin would catch on the second rail and spin down for position. Does that sound anywhere close to right????

thats the shot alright,maybe im easily impressed but i think thats a cool looking shot.
even after all these years i get a kick out of spin.

 

[sjm]

i (and we all) know he plays well in 14.1, that is a given. you think he is a 14.1 specialist and i dont. that's fine. 14.1 specialist would mean, to me anyway, that he always plays 14.1, that's his game and he knows every little trick and shot in the game. that is just not the case, ask him if you want id bet he'd tell you he's no specialst, but he may say he is who knows. note: to me it is much more complimentary what i am saying (that he's NOT a specialist), as well as he plays.

Point well taken, Enzo.

 

[sjm]

told you he'd say himself he wasn't a specialist no, im really just having fun messing around, cool of you to comment by the way john.

in all seriousness though, if you have ever seen a video of say miz in his 14.1 prime..... the way he ran the balls was evidentely very "specialist," whatever that really means. miz would run 100 and literally be strait in 1 foot away on every shot. then he'd get a slightly tough shot and miss it by 3 feet. while im not saying anybody is better or worse, john will run the balls very well also, perhaps with the slightest bit of lesser cueball control (of course this is arguable), but he will moe down that "tough" shot that miz dogged almost everytime, and do it in like 2 seconds too. what style is better? who knows, thats why we have tournaments

A bit overstated, but I get the gist of it, and I happen to agree. John is more likely to make the really tough shot to keep the run going than Steve was. In Steve's day, at least based on matches I watched, Balsis and Lassiter were both a little more likely to make that really tough shot to extend a run than Miz. Still, Steve was a great pocketer.

 

[LPHooper03]

Makes you want to sit back and try to predict who the next hall of famers are going to be. I see John right at the top of the list. I have watched many of your matches and am greatly impressed with your control over the game. I have watched your kick safes, a lot of people don't appreciate this aspect of your game enough. I rank you right next to Efren.

 

[jungledude]

The Best Player

:grin-square: John made a proposition bet in New Orleans last week that was so strong that I was about the only person in the pool room who didn't bet against John and needless to say he made the propostion very easily on a tight diamond table. He's the best player in America right now
and one of the best in the world.

 

[3andstop]

Straight pool is to pool what two bats are to a ball player on deck to bat.

It's what playing world class chess is to a game of checkers.

It's what a 1000 piece puzzle is to ABC blocks.

Hmm.. I'm running out already ...

It's what a Filet Mignon dinner is to a hamburger platter

Oh yeah .. It's what real pool is to 9 ball.

can ya tell my preference?

 

[predator]

I don't know about John being a straight pool specialist...he wins titles in just about any pool game. What he specializes in is ball pocketing and positioning the white ball, simple as that.
A bit of analogy...#1 tennis player Rafael Nadal was being called a clay court specialist by many. Look at him now, wins everything on any court. And yet some tennis purists still have the nerve to claim that he isn't all that good on fast courts...

 

[metallicane]

John plays all games well, but I was absolutely impressed with his one pocket skills. Time after time his opponent would get him into positions where I thought there was no way to get out and lo and behold he would come out with an amazing shot to now put his opponent on the defensive. Watching him play opne pocket is almost as good as watching him play 14.1.

Keep up the good work John.

 

[bfdlad]

I guess I am not the only one who has recognized the talent.

 

[paksat]

Schmidt is one of my favorite players along with corey and shane.

The first video I ever watched on youtube was him vs efren. While he didn't win that one, I still enjoyed it and it introduced me to what high level pool is really about.

 

[enzo]

Nice of you to compliment John, but what's your problem with Mizerak? He was a great champion. Great champions don't 'dog it almost everytime.'

there is an important skill in life called reading between the lines. i was highly complimentary of steve, pretty much saying he plays the game so well he never has to make a tough shot, that is the highest compliment i can give. of course he made tough shots when faced with them, we all know that. my point being (if you can read between the lines) is that john will make these tough shots with higher frequency. again conjecture, but i bet if you could have asked steve he'd say he hated distance and tough shots (and this attitude showed in his game to be honest). john seems to eat them up and not think about them too much, which is modern day, great, aggressive thinking.

 

[s0lidz]

I have been watching Mr 400 for a while now and I know that he is a very good straight pool player and maybe best known for that. However he has knocked off tourneys at Derby City just the other month and now the pro 10-ball event at Valley Forge and obviously a U.S Open 9-Ball Champ.

So it seems to me that John is not only a great guy and seems to be liked by all but he is also a very well rounded player who can compete with the best at any game. But which game is he the best at?

I would love to hear thoughts on this.

Absolutely, John seems to be good at every game he plays. It is not limited to just pool either. He is highly talented, and from what I've seen, he'd probably be good at anything he tried. Combine that kind of talent with hard work and dedication and what you end up with is a John Schmidt.

Congratz on the big win John. Keep it up. There is a reason why everybody likes you. And it has more to do with your personality, the way you treat fans, and the way you conduct yourself in public than it does your game (which we have already pointed out is considerable). Keep doing what you're doing and you will continue to succeed.

 

[Klink]

Just courious John, how long have you been playing golf, and what is your current handicap?
Thanks, Mike

 

[john schmidt]

hi

played golf in high school and college,from 12 to 21 years old.didnt play 10 times from 21-32 then got membership got handicap at whiting field in milton fl, and tanglewood .
handicap at whiting was plus2 and at tanglewood they let me play in the money games as a plus 2.

i managed to get to playing good enough in 05 to try to play mini tours as i had shot 50 rounds in the 60s that year with low rounds of 62,62,63,63,and a few 65s and 64s.par 72 couse only6300 yards long but real tight.


this was not a real difficult course or long but alot of the members and head pros who were playing with me during these rounds tried to convince me to quit pool and try golf for a living.i considered it but then managed to win the usopen 9ball and ive kinda just quit playing golf again because my pool career has become more hectic and profitable.



i was a very good golfer and those were great rounds i shot but believe me from 7300 on a tough course at my best im going to be a 0 handicap which is not going to make a living as those kinda players are everywhere.

thats the thing i like about pool is im not big and strong but i can still compete with say hillbilly or nevel who are strong as apes.

 

[OBX]

I still cant figure out why everyone is so much more impressed with Mosconi's record on an eight foot with big pockets than the players now days. There are a few guys that have run over 400 on tough 9 foots. That to me is a lot more impressive.

One reason: the best accounts of the feat have Mosconi quitting unfinished with an easy shot remaining to continue--he was tired (some say he missed the last shot, but those accounts have been impeached). Nobody has ever dominated straight pool like Mosconi did over 2+ decades.

The best 14.1 player I ever saw play personally was Joe Balsis--he had a beautiful stroke.

 

[jay helfert]

Interesting thread. Traditionally our best players have grown up on Straight Pool. Consequently we produce many outstanding all around players. In the Philippines, they grow up on Rotation. So they produce exceptional 9-Ball and Ten Ball players. Efren is a freak, who can play any game. You'd be surprised how hard pressed it is to find someone over there (the PI) who will play you One Pocket or Banks.

I love this thread about John, finally receiving some well deserved recognition. Like I said earlier, he may well be the best All Around player in America today. Tell me someone else who can match him at all games. Corey? Hmmm. I think not. John has a good personality too. He is quite entertaining to watch in a match, always with some funny quips for the audience. "How'd did I get here???" "What happened on that shot?" "Oops, is it still my turn?" "I shit out there." He always seems to have something to say to no one in particular that lets us know exactly how he feels. I like that.

Oh and one last thing. Yes, John is a great 14.1 player, but PLEASE do not discount the MIZ. If John can compile a record at 14.1 like him, he will be a great champion also. The MIZ was only the best Straight Pool player on Earth for two decades. And he had a lot of challengers too. Sigel, Rempe, Hopkins, Margo, Butera, Martin, Balsis, Lassiter and Diliberto come to mind first. And there's lots more. Steve Mizerak had the most powerful pool stroke I ever saw, and knew how to use it. He is only one of the best players to ever hold a cue. He's on my all time top five. And that's a short list.

Steve was a very smart man also. I loved it when he would look at me and say in an ominous tone, "Listen Jay, here's the way it is." And he would talk real slow and dramatically, amplifying the point he was making. And you know what. He would usually be right on with his assessment of whatever he was talking about. Steve had insight.

I would always tell him if he would just lose 100-150 pounds, he would be a great player again. And he would tell me he was going to do it. But he never did. I miss my man Miz too. He was such a super pool player and a very interesting man. Well rounded, he could talk about anything, intelligently!

 

[jay helfert]

Okay, I had to do it. My all time top six pool players I have seen in my lifetime (so far). In no particular order; Harold Worst, Luther Lassiter, Steve Mizerak, Efren Reyes, Jose Parica and Mike Sigel. Buddy Hall and Ed Kelly would be next. Dennis O. and C.C. Wu could make the next list some day. Still too early to tell.

 

[ShootingArts]

a few things

One reason: the best accounts of the feat have Mosconi quitting unfinished with an easy shot remaining to continue--he was tired (some say he missed the last shot, but those accounts have been impeached). Nobody has ever dominated straight pool like Mosconi did over 2+ decades.

The best 14.1 player I ever saw play personally was Joe Balsis--he had a beautiful stroke.

One, Mosconi is a legend. Active players will find it almost impossible to surpass a legend in people's minds. Modern day baseball players are good but what would the babe have done had he trained and maybe taken a few goodies like they did? Do today's players even compare to Hank Aaron? See what I mean?

Aside from that, raw numbers don't tell the whole story. When Willie was playing well a child could pocket pretty much every ball he pocketed. He played shape, natural rolls, and patterns perhaps better than anyone living today. One reason he was such a valuable company rep is that he not only ran hundreds of balls, he made it look so effortless that every schmoe watching thought they could too.

Willie wasn't a perfect pool player or human being but time has softened the few rough edges too, something today's players don't benefit from yet. That is another reason that they won't be considered Mosconi's equal without breaking his high number count regardless of the table it was done on.

If any of a half-dozen or so of today's players, including John, gave 14.1 exhibitions as a full time job as Willie did I think his record would fall even shooting on mostly nine footers. However Willie was in almost a unique position to set the record in his time and ours so the legend remains. Even if he is surpassed after holding the record this many years the legend will remain and I have to admit I like it that way.

Hu