Now that I've used it in two houses, two conditions, I will post my official review.
First off, I'm right handed, high tracking power stroker, 15# 4" pin 2.5 oz top weight, drilled with pin next to and above ring finger and CG in grip, Brunswick drilling 2L. Drilled by Mike Austin, who you can find on the forums. I recommend him as highly as I can recommend any human being in the service industry. I will never buy another ball anywhere else! I just sent him an old ball with the best fit and he copied the fit perfectly, down to the pitch and bevel. Also sent me the spec sheet, which my original driller refused to give me.
House 1 - regular league block shot, well maintained lanes, Friday night 2nd shift (9pm). Ball projected nicely and made a continuous, smooth move to the pocket. Missing left had a little bit of hold and I would generally end up with a 4-pin leave in this case. Missing right is where it got ugly, just did not have the power to make it back, usually would end up with 2-4-10 type stuff. Shot 213-234-245 for 692, not bad considering I had not thrown the ball other than 5 minutes of shadow balls (and hadn't bowled at all in about 2 months).
House 2 - regular league block shot, perhaps shorter or at least buffed less? 2nd, possibly 3rd shift? Monday night 8:30pm, had never bowled at this house before. I was much deeper here and the outside was just toast, so I was throwing a line I wasn't too comfortable with. I was having to swing a bit, with more tilt and revs, and the ball was still as smooth as silk. As this line went away, I was just asking too much of the ball...I was leaving all kinds of 10's by mid-2nd game. Switched to my Punisher and threw even more of a swing, throwing harder to get it down the lane and into that outside dry for a good snap. I ended up with 234-186-179 for 599. Really, the middle of the 2nd and 3rd games were pretty ugly as I was forced out of my comfort zone and into doing things I wasn't used to.
Summary - This ball combined with a Punisher drilled the same is a FANTASTIC 1-2 combo that covers everything from the lightest of mediums to somewhat heavy mediums. Compared to an Absolute Inferno, the Smokin' has three true phases instead of two: Skid, read, hook/roll. With the Absolute, I only ever saw skid, hook/roll once I broke in the coverstock and as a result, I found it very hard to get effective lines on the 2nd shift conditions I see most. This ball starts its read at the same time the AI would start hooking, but then holds off on its full reaction longer so the benefit is that it doesn't squirt on clean backends, doesn't skate on carrydown, and is smooth and predictable with the number of boards it will cover once you get it to your breakpoint. I don't think this ball would ever get going on a really long pattern, and doesn't have enough "junk in the trunk" for a super short pattern, but on everything in between you're going to find useable consistency and great hit.
I have to say that this ball is completely different from what I thought I would get (based on how Brunswick advertised it), but I couldn't be happier. I commented in another thread that it acts like a reactive in the heads, and like a particle ball in the backend. A lot of people are looking for the reverse when they buy a new ball, but I think that true shotmakers are really going to love the versatility of this ball. I have seen no other Brunswick ball EVER that is this smooth, and I've owned or seen quite a few over the past decade. The idea that this is a ball with a more angular reaction than an Absolute...I just don't see how this is possible. It is longer, but it makes a continuous, strong arc instead of a jerky snap off the first sniff of dry. I should say that I owned an Absolute previously, with the same drill, box finish.
If you're looking for a ball that is longer than the Absolute and stronger in the backend with the same overall hook potential, this is not that ball - only half of that request is met. At least, this is the case when comparing both balls in box condition with the same basic drilling. Could you achieve this with a different surface prep, drilling pattern, or flare hole? Perhaps, but that could be said of a lot of other balls too.
As much as I love the ball the way it is, I would probably try an Absolute drilled 3L and this ball drilled 3E to see what they would do for me.
One other thing I should mention before I close - this flavor of Activator coverstock seems to get scratched and nicked a little easier than the Absolute's Activator+. Whether the high gloss finish just makes it more susceptible, I've run into some bad luck with the machines in the back, or if this pattern will continue over the long term, only time will tell. At this point, with approximately 10 games worth on the ball, it does not concern me yet.
