Landon Shuffett - Please Play Pool

Landon Shuffett said:
I'm really not even sure where to begin. Yes, it is true that while at Lindenwood I have played less than I have in recent years and many would say my involvement has been rather low (I guess I couldn't argue with that). The reason for playing less has purely been because of other obligations and involvements such as church, homework and class, and other hobbies. But I have loved every second of my training at Lindenwood and have tried my best to at least stay in stroke and play well in all of my competitions.

Decisions at this time about which path I want to take with my life is rather difficult. I would love to play all of the big tournaments in the U.S. and around the world and perhaps even qualify for the Mosconi Cup...but, as you all have said, it does take full commitment and everything else must take a back seat. As of right now I'm looking at a teaching certification from Lindenwood that would give me a stable income, marriage within the next year or two, as well as duties within my ministry here around the St. Charles, MO, area. To choose to train and make the Cup would mean that I have to give probably all of that up.

At this point I'm trying to soak up my last year and a half here at Lindenwood while continuing to play and train with the team and learn all that I can from Mark. Even if I don't decide to fully devote my life to the game, I know that there will be many opportunities for me to play larger tournaments like the U.S. Open and the Derby City Classic (whatever my boss would allow me to do). And who knows, I might even get lucky enough to maintain my teaching job and train hard on the side and still make the Cup...but that's just me dreaming. Prayer and advice from wise people I have in my life is where I will go from here.

However, thank you all for the support, kindness, and compliments! It's nice to know that there are still people out there that enjoy watching me play and wanna see more of me! I will never not play the game...it's such a huge part of my life and I could never give it up. I hope this will clear up any confusion as to where I am with the game at this point. If you all have any more questions I'll be glad to answer them!

Landon
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Landon it does my heart good to know you have God in your life! I am a pool lover from way back(early 80s) i know i don,t have to tell you what the pool environment is like(if you choose to live on the pool circuits,trying to make a living gambling and playing tournaments) it is NOT a good life. I love hearing that you won,t be going down this trail. Please do as watchez says and get a career(i did in about 96,after chasing the pool world for about 15 years) that life is nothing but real HIGHS and the lowest LOWS! And it really makes it almost impossible to be a good christian. I would never encourage you to quit,but stick to the tournament side of pool and not the gambling(and i gamble lol,but i see what it does to people,dumping etc...) just pray about it and God will give you answers! Jason
 
Hey, ya'll!

I guess to answer the plea of the thread itself, 'Please Play Pool,' the answer is yes, I am playing pool! However, this most likely does not look the same for me as it does for others. At the moment I am helping Mark coach and train the Lindenwood Lions Billiards Team two to three days a week. I really enjoy still being a part of this team (for those that don't know I graduated in May of this year) as a friend, example, mentor, and practice partner. I am also practicing and preparing to play in two tournaments next month. The first tournament will be at Teacher's Billiards here near St. Charles, MO, on the 8th and 9th and then the following weekend I'll be headed back to Kentucky for the Kentucky State Championship. That will be the most tournament play I've had back to back in a while!

I've also given a few lessons here and there recently, but I plan to continue doing this in the future probably focusing solely on teaching CTE/Pro One sometime after my Dad's book is out. However, I feel that there's still a lot I could offer in terms of stroke, fundamentals, and break so I want to keep that as an option for those interested.

That about sums it up! My wife and I have full time jobs in Education and we're staying as busy as ever with our church (The Crossings Church Wentzville), focusing mostly on the campus ministry. I still love to play and perform music whenever it's possible and for those that follow me on any social media, I'm kind of obsessed with coffee and the different methods of brewing a great cup.

As I have said before, pool will always be a major part of my life. Since graduating I have really found a bit of a renewed interest in playing more and entering more tournaments so I suspect that you all will be seeing more of me on the tournament scene in the coming months and years. No huge tournaments just yet because I am well aware that I need to be tournament seasoned first! I guess that's about it for now. Later, AZ!

Landon
 
Hi Landon, nice to hear that you are doing well. Doesn't seem like 10 or 12 years have gone by since we originally met. I see your Dad on line once in a while. There will always be a place in Pool for someone like you. here's hoping that you continue to do well & if you ever have the notion, call & say Hello...
 
Landon Shuffett said:
I'm really not even sure where to begin. Yes, it is true that while at Lindenwood I have played less than I have in recent years and many would say my involvement has been rather low (I guess I couldn't argue with that). The reason for playing less has purely been because of other obligations and involvements such as church, homework and class, and other hobbies. But I have loved every second of my training at Lindenwood and have tried my best to at least stay in stroke and play well in all of my competitions.

Decisions at this time about which path I want to take with my life is rather difficult. I would love to play all of the big tournaments in the U.S. and around the world and perhaps even qualify for the Mosconi Cup...but, as you all have said, it does take full commitment and everything else must take a back seat. As of right now I'm looking at a teaching certification from Lindenwood that would give me a stable income, marriage within the next year or two, as well as duties within my ministry here around the St. Charles, MO, area. To choose to train and make the Cup would mean that I have to give probably all of that up.

At this point I'm trying to soak up my last year and a half here at Lindenwood while continuing to play and train with the team and learn all that I can from Mark. Even if I don't decide to fully devote my life to the game, I know that there will be many opportunities for me to play larger tournaments like the U.S. Open and the Derby City Classic (whatever my boss would allow me to do). And who knows, I might even get lucky enough to maintain my teaching job and train hard on the side and still make the Cup...but that's just me dreaming. Prayer and advice from wise people I have in my life is where I will go from here.

However, thank you all for the support, kindness, and compliments! It's nice to know that there are still people out there that enjoy watching me play and wanna see more of me! I will never not play the game...it's such a huge part of my life and I could never give it up. I hope this will clear up any confusion as to where I am with the game at this point. If you all have any more questions I'll be glad to answer them!

Landon
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Hello Landan, nice to hear from you on here. It looks like you have your priorities in order, which doesn't surprise me in the least. You strike me as a very thoughtful and conscientious young man. You've chosen good role models with your dad and Mark Wilson, two high class men themselves. My only advice would be to follow your heart in making career choices. Doing something you enjoy is far more important than the simple desire for material possessions.

Thanks again for giving me the pleasure of a ringside seat at one of the most epic pool matches I ever witnessed. On that day you were David slaying Goliath! :)
 
jay helfert said:
Hello Landan, nice to hear from you on here. It looks like you have your priorities in order, which doesn't surprise me in the least. You strike me as a very thoughtful and conscientious young man. You've chosen good role models with your dad and Mark Wilson, two high class men themselves. My only advice would be to follow your heart in making career choices. Doing something you enjoy is far more important than the simple desire for material possessions.

Thanks again for giving me the pleasure of a ringside seat at one of the most epic pool matches I ever witnessed. On that day you were David slaying Goliath! :)
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Playin' Earl 10b at Tunica maybe? I was there. Landon just played stupidly well.
 
jay helfert said:
Hello Landan, nice to hear from you on here. It looks like you have your priorities in order, which doesn't surprise me in the least. You strike me as a very thoughtful and conscientious young man. You've chosen good role models with your dad and Mark Wilson, two high class men themselves. My only advice would be to follow your heart in making career choices. Doing something you enjoy is far more important than the simple desire for material possessions.

Thanks again for giving me the pleasure of a ringside seat at one of the most epic pool matches I ever witnessed. On that day you were David slaying Goliath! :)
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Jay i couldn,t agree more! If i had one thing i could teach a young person,it would be to find something you love to do for a living(whatever makes you happy) the amount of money you make is not nearly as important as enjoying what you do. Nothing is worse than clocking in on a job you do not enjoy/hate even if it pays well. Getting paid to do something you love or at a minimum,enjoy, doing is one of the most important lessons a person can learn(and lots of people never do). Landon i don,t want to turn this into a religous thread,but it does my heart good to know you are saved buddy.
 
garczar said:
Playin' Earl 10b at Tunica maybe? I was there. Landon just played stupidly well.
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Ten Ball on a 10' table and Landon shot a solid .900. I only saw him miss one ball and get out of line and have to play safe twice, in a Race to 15! I think the final score was 15-3! It was an ass whipping, that's for sure.
 
jay helfert said:
Ten Ball on a 10' table and Landon shot a solid .900. I only saw him miss one ball and get out of line and have to play safe twice, in a Race to 15! I think the final score was 15-3! It was an ass whipping, that's for sure.
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That Bigfoot match was something to witness.
I stood there almost motionless in the middle of that packed crowd around the table.
Landon dismantled Strickland.
I won a $20 side bet from a tobacco chewing dude who was an Earl fanboy.
After the match, he mumbled something about "that skinny little kid can play!"

Thanks, Landon, for that memory.
 
jay helfert said:
Ten Ball on a 10' table and Landon shot a solid .900. I only saw him miss one ball and get out of line and have to play safe twice, in a Race to 15! I think the final score was 15-3! It was an ass whipping, that's for sure.
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Yes on the whipping, 15-4. But he missed a lot more than once -- my old notes show 7 misses and 4 fouls (2 breaking fouls and 2 missed kicks) for Landon.
 
Landon won the KY state 9 ball championship this past weekend for the 4th time in the last 6 years. One year he didn't play the other year he finished 2nd. Unfortunately due to prior commitments I didn't get to play this year. I've had some top 8 finishes in it but it's a tough tournament.
 
9BallKY said:
Landon won the KY state 9 ball championship this past weekend for the 4th time in the last 6 years. One year he didn't play the other year he finished 2nd. Unfortunately due to prior commitments I didn't get to play this year. I've had some top 8 finishes in it but it's a tough tournament.
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Was this KY tournament a public tournament, i.e., are match results shared publicly?

Landon mentioned two recent tournaments. The first, at Teachers, added over 100 games to FargoRate for him. The second one was this one. Landon is at 279 games now and needs to be at 300 to be on the US list.
 
The tournament is open to KY residents but I don't think they keep results of the matches.
 
Someone sponsor him to DCC or the US Open 9ball.

Could he be in current form the same level as Bergman and Skylar?

Also around how old now? I do remember watching that Earl match on the 10ft. It's been awhile.
 
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JAM said:
What a great post! Landon, you're doing the right thing by getting your education. I admire that about you. You also come from good roots, a supportive and loving family, and that is worth a lot more than money.

American pool could use someone of your caliber at this time. You're the whole package: talent, common sense, and clear-headed.

Just don't lose your stroke. When we least expect it, Landon may be back on the table again. How cool would that be! :cool:
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Well said. :thumbup:
 
AtLarge said:
Yes on the whipping, 15-4. But he missed a lot more than once -- my old notes show 7 misses and 4 fouls (2 breaking fouls and 2 missed kicks) for Landon.
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Stories have a harder time gaining legendary status, if you keep injecting stats and facts and stuff.

By 2036, I fully expect the story to be that Earl showed up, and Landon stared him down and made him quit through telepathic means before the first ball was even struck.

That opens the door for the 2040 version of the story were Landon shoots laser beams out of his eye sockets, and the balls disintegrate. :thumbup:
 
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