Pool prodigy stands tall at 4-foot-8

GREENSBURG, Ky. – Of the 10 million Americans who play pool at least twice a month, approximately 9.999 million probably would believe they could beat the tar out of Landon Shuffett.

Ignorance is bliss.

And in this case, understandable.

Landon is an apple-cheeked, falsetto-voiced, cherubically charming fourth-grader who loves eight ball, nine ball and “Dragonball Z.”

At 4-foot-8 and 92 pounds, he is the least imposing pool shark in the history of green felt.

This small fry is more Nemo than Jaws. He has killer skills, all right, but couldn’t care less about gambling. A fella can’t buy Yu-Gi-Oh! cards with money he doesn’t have.

“Yu-Gi-Oh!” and “Dragonball Z” are cartoons that Landon likes to watch. “The Color of Money”? Never seen it. He’d rather color pictures of Goku, Gohan and King Kai instead.

“I love to draw and color,” Landon said, pulling another marker out of a shoebox full of fat Crayolas.

Meet the future king of Planet Pool Hall. He looks like Opie Taylor and plays like Minnesota Fats.

“The kid is phenomenal,” said Louisville’s Donnie Sinkhorn, one of the best players in the region. “I call him the Tiger Woods of pool.”

Stan Shuffett, Landon’s dad, winces at the comparison, even though Landon already has won 28 tournaments and nearly 500 matches against adults.

“There would be a lot of added expectations and pressure on anyone that is called a Tiger Woods,” Shuffett said.

But Dad doesn’t deny that the comparison is apt in some ways – at this age, at least.

Woods was a genuine child prodigy with an irresistible smile, a knack for trick shots and a natural flair for showmanship. He made his first TV appearance at age 2 and never looked back.

Ditto for Landon, although he didn’t make his first TV appearance until age 7, on “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.” But Landon was 6 when the producers discovered him giving an exhibition at the Derby City Classic, one of the top pool tournaments in the United States.

Since his “Ripley’s” appearance, Landon has been on “Good Morning America,” “Late Night With David Letterman,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “The Tony Danza Show” – twice.

As a result, Landon is probably the most famous male pool player in the United States.

The women have their own professional tour, which has helped make modest celebrities of such players as Jeannette “The Black Widow” Lee and Allison “The Duchess of Doom” Fisher.

Landon could, on a smaller scale, someday do for billiards what Woods has done for golf.

“The kid is the real deal,” said Sinkhorn, who was recruited to play Landon for the “Ripley’s” shoot. “He’s going to be a monster. As long as he stays away from the wrong elements, he can definitely be the best pool player ever.”

Landon took his first real pool shot at age 5. His stroke was so smooth, so special, that his father instantly knew he’d be more teacher than player from here out.

Stan Shuffett, 54, a special education teacher, knows a bit about pool. He was a finalist in the 1979 National 8-Ball Tournament and, in early 1989, was ranked 46th nationally. He won a regional tournament two years ago in Athens, Ga.

“I recognized right away that he had great potential,” Shuffett said. “I came into the house and said, ‘Connie (his wife), I’m going to have to work with this kid. There goes my game.’ “

But Shuffett said that working with Landon actually has sharpened his game – lest he be beaten by a 10-year-old, which is one trick Landon hasn’t mastered yet.

Landon has run four straight racks of nine-ball and sunk 37 consecutive balls playing straight pool. Impressive – and illuminating.

Willie Mosconi, world champion 14 times, once ran 526 balls in straight pool. That’s the kind of shooting it takes to earn the crown of the best.

But Landon isn’t worried about his legacy at the moment. He has the sniffles and a “Dragonball Z” picture to finish.

“This one’s pretty good,” he said, absent-mindedly wiping his nose. “I might even hang it on my wall.”