I decided to take it easy tonight as I’m recovering from a very mild case of the flu, so I drove straight home from work to rest. As I was sitting in my recliner and trying to decide how to occupy my brain, I glanced over to my bookshelf and noticed several straight pool DVDs. I thought to myself, Ah hah! This is the perfect evening for a straight pool education! I grabbed a drink, a can of mixed nuts (pistachios and almonds), and a box of Rocher chocolates. Ready!
The first video I watched was John’s “Run of 245” video. The first thing that struck me was how young he looked when he shot the video. Yikes! Also, he ran balls with amazing speed. When John recorded the run, he used a video camcorder, then came back later and over dubbed some comments for the viewers. The primary reason I enjoyed the video was because I enjoyed observing his shooting style and watching the long run, but from an educational perspective, I was underwhelmed.
The second video was an amazing video. In “Exactly How I Run 100’s,” John talks to the viewers (the camera) through every single shot all the way through the 164 ball run, and he does this while he is shooting! I found this video to be most helpful from an educational standpoint, as you have the opportunity to think through the patterns with him, and you get to see how he constantly reconsiders risk and how his shot selections change as he progresses through the racks.
The third video was an Accu-stats video “112 Ball Run with Player Commentary.” The video was recorded during a straight pool exhibition at the Derby City Classic in 2006. The video was recorded, then later John and Pat Fleming come back and dubbed player commentary over the video. This video is very professionally produced, and is good from both an entertainment and educational standpoint.
In my opinion, the Accu-stats video is not nearly as good as the “Exactly” video. The reason is because in the Accu-stats video John and Pat discuss the shots that he makes, but there is almost no discussion about risk assessment and alternative shot options. From an entertainment perspective, the Accu-stats video may be the best, but if you are an aspiring pool player and want to master the game of 14.1, I highly recommend “Exactly How I Run 100’s.” It presents the game from the player’s perspective and makes you think through real world situations.
Well, that’s my evening with Mr. 400. It’s after 10pm and the biggest issue I have right now is… I really want to go shoot pool right now! Thankfully, this weekend is a long weekend so I’ll have plenty of time to play. Wahoo!
Angle of Reflection 
Hi, ….How do I find the tape by John Schmidt on “Exactly How I Run 100’s?”
Thanks.
Hi Dale, I borrowed a copy from a friend. I did a little research and the only thing that I could find was a post on AZBilliards from John Schmidt dated from 2008 where he gives his paypal address as: johnmr400@yahoo.com
Here’s the link to John’s AZBilliards post: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=94391
I’m not sure if this helps or not. Good luck!