Shaw smashes straight pool record after running 714 balls in gruelling challenge

Shaw smashed the previous record of 626, which was clocked by John Schmidt almost three years ago

๏ Photo: Pete Marovich / American Reportage

Fresh from his second straight MVP award at the Mosconi Cup, Jayson Shaw etched his name into the record books once again, running 714 balls to break the straight pool world record.

A mere two years and eight months after straight pool specialist John Schmidt historically scuppered Willie Mosconi’s 65-year record, clocking a score of 626, the record books were being amended once again.

Shaw achieved the feat at the Street Lights Billiard Academy in Virginia during the early hours of Tuesday morning, with thousands of viewers glued to the Legends of Straight Pool live stream.

Shaw, who was crowned Turning Stone Classic champion for a record-breaking seventh-time earlier this month, was witnessed screaming towards the camera as balls 625, 626 and 627 found pockets.

Straight pool fanatics Bobby Chamberlain and Dean Chapman founded the initiative last month, with their intentions to invite the sport’s top professionals in an attempt to break records.

Shaw had surpassed the 400 mark on a couple of occasions before creating history, while the likes of the legendary Earl Strickland and Shane van Boening had visited the academy in recent weeks and posted similar runs.