Pin Chaser,
The Crux is a very strong ball, and, for me, it handles medium to heavy patterns very well. I just used it this past weekend on ABT Pattern #10, which is 48 ft. long with a ratio of under 2:1. It worked nicely on that pattern, so please don't think I'm saying that the Crux isn't good in oil because I think it is.
However, as I said before, for me, even with the pin-down drilling, the ball clears the heads, which is something that many "heavy oil balls" do not. The Crux starts digging in the midlane is unbelieveablely continuous through the pins. I've never had a ball that just keeps on digging and hooking the way the Crux does. However, there are other balls that grab the lane sooner than the Crux. In comparison, I think that the Hyper Cell (in most hands) reads earlier than the Crux. I think the DV8 Ruckus Feud (in most hands) reads the lane earlier. I actually think that original Mastermind (in box finish) did as well. Now, the Crux may start up a pinch later than all of those, but once it digs in, it hooks hard and keeps on hooking, moreso in my opinion than all of the others I mentioned.
Again, my original response to you was just to make you realize that, at least for me, the hybrid cover and smooth OOB coverstock prep allow the Crux to clear the fronts easier than most really strong balls that I've encountered; nevertheless, it's still really, really strong and can handle a great deal of oil. If you're looking for a ball to put at the top of your rotation, I don't think you can go wrong with a Crux!
