Brunswick Monster SmashR Bowling Ball

This review is a little late cause I got this ball about 2 years ago or so. But this was my first Brunswick ball every and this was parable what got me into Brunswick. This ball worked out very well for me when I was still learning the game of bowling. I shot a 266 (front 9 then open:() and a 698 with this ball and a couple 250's with it. This ball would work out very well on medium to oily conditions and maybe for less oil if polished up. I would suggest for anyone coming in to the game to try this ball out. Overall this is a very nice B ball.

When I need an early roll in slicker conditions, I get the monster smashR. This has equal hook potential as my eraser boost before it died. Compared to the boost, the smashR starts to hook earlier and has equal flare potential at 5 inches. The boost has more backend though with a sharper turn. But the smashR is very durable. A guy in my league had his smashR for a good 2 years. Power players would like to crank this ball on a medium shot, but for most bowlers, they'll like it for medium-heavy oil. In the more flooded shots, the smashR just can't hook enough, but I still recommend it for more than average oil in your league.

I bought this at the beginning of this past fall/winter season and now that the season is over I feel I can offer an honest opinion on this ball.. This is a great ball for Medium to Heavy oil, and like I said I can play anywhere on the lanes depending on the condition.. Obviously you don't really wanna have to use this on bone dry lanes cause you won't be able to keep it on the lanes, but that's not why you buy a ball like this.. I play on a typical house shot, however the levels of oily to dry change from week to week.. Sometimes almost bone dry, sometimes flooded but either way the SmashR can handle it.. I was thinking of getting a SlayR for when things dry up, but now I think I may just buy another SmashR keep it polished and drilled to go long and strong.. Sorry if this review isn't very technical but this is my first one and I'll try to do better next time.. If anyone has any questions about the ball though I will be happy to answer if I can..

This is a great ball anyway you look at it. Even on dry lanes I've had success with this ball, simply by adjusting the shot and/or approach. I wouldn't exactly recommend the ball for dry lanes, but it will work if properly adjusted. On medium and heavy oil, nothing beats the simplicity of throwing a strike that this ball seemingly has built into it. IMO the best of the Monster line and one of Brunswicks best balls ever. If you're looking for a good ball that will hit the pocket hard, but not hit you hard in your pocket, this is the ball to go for, it simply cannot be beat for the price/performance ratio.

This is the ball that I have been searching for. It has a smooth predictable hook and it hits hard! I just got back into league bowling this year and I have been averaging 185. I shot 699 with this ball out of the box. The next week I shot 711 (my first 700) in practice. My last three league sets I have averaged 214. I had it drilled with a cg shift so it would hook more and boy does it scream into the pocket. I'm not up on all the tech talk, I'll leave that to my pro shop guy. But I love this ball! The only negative and it's not really negative is it doesn't hook much in heavy oil.

Wow! I don't really even know where to start with this ball. Overall this may be the best ball I have ever used. I first got it in a have a ball league where you get the ball at the end of the season. When it came in I told Dave to drill it up to go long and come in strong. He gave me a free pratice game to get a feel for it -- then it was time for us to establish averages for league and BAM right out of the box for a 229 average. I had just finished the other league with a 176. It is a very fogiving ball, almost seems like you have a 5 board margin of error for your mark. Miss to the outside this Monster recovers nicely for a strike, miss to the inside and it would hold line then explode on the backend. I used to throw 16lb now have switched to 15lb and this was the first ball I bought new in 15lb, and it hits just as hard. I would recomend this ball to any one who wants to up their average.

This thing hits like a Mack truck if you even get it near the pocket. It's name is very true to its actions. If you get a good drilling layout for your needs, there will be nothing wrong with this ball. Also, it is very forgiving if you miss your mark, and can usually find the pocket no matter what. Some people try to compare it to high-end balls, but must remember it is only supposed to be a mid-range ball. And for a mid-range ball, it sure has a nice hook, and like I said before, it has a great back-end reaction coupled with some power, making for a great strike ball. And all at a definitely affordable price. Because of that, I say that the Brunswick Monster SmashR is a hella good ball!

My first Monster ball was the monster Black & Red Pearl and he did great and now the Monster Smash'r his the second ball from Monster than i buy.The Monster Smash'r his more powerfull than my other monster. This ball is Reactive and it seem The reactive is the kind of ball i play the most on the league. Monday Night, i was play with my X-Factor on my league and i dont know whats happening, for the first time i totally lost controle of that ball i was play 204, 164 and 134. For the rest of the league he did a lot of split and open frame. I d'ont understande why he did this but i'm not worry for the X-Factor because i know he would be back and in the same time mayby correct my shot. After the league I Buy The Monster Smash'R and I was Play 2 other games so 184 and 220 whit my monster. And Tuesday, i was played 177, 208 and 221. This monster his great. For the X-Factor i'm sure i will find my mistake and correcte beside he is great ball to and than the best ball from storm and for Brun

the ball is good. depending on how you throw it, sometimes the ball can either hit light or heavy. the first month took me awhile to figure out what the ball type was like because i was a normal medium speed thrower. the first 3 games i played using the smashR were not all that great 160's 3 months later i was bowling 250's again. i learned that depending on the lane condition i either had to play the outside line where i throw it out and let it come back in. or play the straight line. Whatever happend to the rhino's and the quantum's? they were one of the best balls by brunswick ever made.? why? why why?

Purchased this ball in July of 2002 at the Gold Coast in Las Vegas, had it drilled with a 3" pin located 1/2" below my ring finger with a leverage hole placed 5 1/4"(drilled 2 3/4" deep x 7/8" dia.) from the pin and 2 1/2" from the MB(MB located 3" right of Center Line of grip). I just love this ball and I'm having a hard time trying to find a ball to replace its spot in my bag. The ball is by far the most versatile ball I've every owned. It revs up like the Original Danger Zone(another fav). Anyone looking for a very good all-around ball, this is it if you can still find them.

50% of the time when you hit pocket, this ball flushes the pocket like its nothing. Great ride through the lane, nice and smooth! The other 50% of the time when you hit pocket, I get either a split or a 10 pin! This will really get on your nerves!! Really, this ball was good when I first got it. I bowled my other 279 game with this one. This ball flushed the pocket really nice. It made a nice sweet noise that will echo in the alley. Not all the time though I didnt get strikes. Half the time I got tapped with the stupid 10 pin. Then when it wasn't the 10 pin, it was all these weird splits that I've never ever had before. So if you are a little short on cash and want to buy a mid price ball thats good on med-heavy oil, then this ball is the right one for you. Just be aware of the consequences!

It's a very good ball for a beginner. I went from a straight ball to this and it raised my average 20 pins in the first 2 weeks and it just keeps going up the more I use it. It hits nicely and has a great pin carry. If the backends are oily it skids a bit but usually it is just perfect. It's very forgiving, you can pull it a bit and it will just hit a little off the pocket. This ball fits my style very nicely. I would cry if I had to give this ball up.

This ball is just great. I've never seen a better value for price ball. You can put the Smah/R out on the first arrow. it rolls and rolls and comes back with a heavy hit at the end of the lane (if the oil conditions are correct). The strikes I threw by now, where 100%s. The 10 pins fell all at one time, no lucky strikes. The pinmix is just beautiful, the Smash/R converts throws into Strikes you would have never been expected to be a strike. I really like this ball. The heavy hitter hits heavy, as Brunswick promises.

I was looking for a High power reactive ball and heard alot about this one. The ball is drilled with the 1E drilling on Brunswick's "Seven Popular Layouts" sheet. I was like " OK this should match up very similar to my old Danger Zone." Took the ball to a freshley oiled pair of lanes(typical Wall shot oil 37ft. buffed to 42ft. aprox.). The first few shots were not bad the ball did move, but not as much as I was going to find out a little later. I started to get a really good feel in the ball and was throwing it like my other stuff. The ball would scream through about 40 feet and all of a sudden the ball would roll up and i was slammin the 3-6 pocket, heave on the 6 (i'm a lefty). I started moving 2 boards, 4 boards, a little hand positioning, 2 more boards, but nothing worked the ball would roll up early and FLY. I finally started playing the ball up the oil and BOOM!! It wasnt just a BOOM It was one of those strikes when people 3 pairs of lanes over hear it and stop bowling!

Bought this ball for heavier oil and hated it. The ball gets to the pocket consistantly, but hits soft. I leave alot of ten pins with this ball. I polished the heck out of it, and it works good on a lighter oil shot. The ball needs to tracking hard to the pocket to carry. Although it is a decent ball for the money, but you can make a giant step forward for a couple of bucks more (see my reviews on Track Mutant & Freak Out). The ball allows room for error, but can be thrown only on a limited number of conditions. Great beginner or lower average bowling ball for somebody looking to upgrade without spending a fortune though. I used to be a Brunswick man solely, but Track has opened my eyes. Just can't seem to throw big scores with this one 250 +, alot of 220-230 games though. if you are happy shooting 600-650 then this is the ball for you, and remember to practice ten pins as you have alot of oppurtunity to do so.

my over all review is I will never roll anything different than the monster. this ball goes down the lane and then it snaps down to the end. It hits hard an very feirce. I have only had this ball for less than a month and have bowled more 200 games than with my other balls! if I would have known that this ball would have went and bought one a long time ago and I think that would have brought my average up. this ball I have bowled my highest game. I recomend this ball to anyone that loves bowling.

A great mid priced ball. Controllable back end is defenitely one thing I liked. You know when it should hook and where it will end up. The forgiveness is incredible. Miss left, right it doesnt matter. It will skid through the heads and wont over hook on the back end. After the lanes break down it might hook a bit too early to keep it in and around the pocket. Usually leaves clean spares . In the first game or so it will leave some 8 or 9 pins. If there is any oil going into your break point those pins will be left all night. Not too many problems with it not hooking up though. Good ball overall with good lane reading capabilities.

There are those that can deliver the heavy hit, and those that can’t. The new Monster SmashR from Brunswick draws a line in the wreckage that separates the big hitters from all the rest. With the Monster SmashR Brunswick has moved its hugely popular PowrKoil 18 coverstock system to the mid-price point. PowrKoil 18, made popular by the Danger Zone, delivers a fundamentally more aggressive ball reaction than the N’Control PowerStock Reactive family used on the Monster ScreamR. The Monster SmashR features a low profile, high density, door-knob shaped inner core which configures the SmashR to a low-RG, high-flare, quick revving mass distribution. The SmashR’s PowrKoil 18 Coverstock and quick revving mass distribution make it an ideal match for midrange physical games on most league lane conditions and a good heavy oil ball for high RPM players. Brunswick’s Monster-Series delivers the bowling industry’s widest range of ProActive and Reactive ball reactions available at t

Just what I was looking for, a ball that says it hooks in the oil and actually does hook in the oil. My first three games with it were 268,279,248. 795... not a bad first series out of the box eh? haha, needless to say, I love this ball. Now I have the full arsenal, the Smash/R for the fresh oil, Heat 2 for when they are medium to light oil, and the Wicked for when the other two arent working. I am usually a big time Columbia guy but this ball by Brunswick is one of the best I've ever thrown.

This ball is simply awesome for the price. I would suggest this ball for any beginner, or novice. I was throwing an old poly ball from hammer until I got this baby. My avg was 123, after just 3 games of " practice " I shot 200, 177, 143 ( tired arm ), These scores would have been much much better if I had my spare ball down. This ball is like driving a sports car, compared to my old " House" ball.. I would suggest going to a pro shop, letting them see your release and letting them make an educated decision. I went to Skore lanes in Taylor, Michigan. Mike and Leo there were very helpful and did not try to sell me anything that would not meet my requirement. I owe them both for being honest opinions.

Ball was drilled with the pin to the right of the ring finger. no extra hole. cg mid span. on medium oil lanes I throw from 25 to 10 and it comes back roaring to the pocket. on light oil I stand 30 and swing out to 10 with a little hand and the ball covers the whole alley and wham! On Heavy oil I stand center dot and play the outside part of the lane. I throw it right down 10, it hooks when it hits the dry backend and wham! This is my go to ball, the first ball out of my bag. I also have an Apex Aggression and a Trauma Recovery Will review those in the future after using them some more. It seems to me that most balls are good balls in the hands of the right owner. Its just a matter of matching styles. Me, I just try to learn the best way to use a certain ball. I love my Smashr.

My normal approach was to start on the right side of the lanes and bring the ball over the second arrow. My margin for error was very little for the Speed Zone that I was using on that line. With the Smash Monster/R, I am starting in the middle right side of the lanes and rolling it over the right 3rd arrow and it comes back with monster bite and drives through the head pin and leaves nothing in its wake. I am extremely overjoyed with this ball. My only regret is that I should have bought this sooner!

For all of you looking for the coveted "danger zone", there is a ball out there for you to buy brand new for under 100 bucks! When this ball is polished, you will get the exact same reaction out of it as you would a danger zone. this ball was designed to act as a cheap replacement for the danger zone. the powrkoil 18 coverstock is so versatile, you can change it to react any way you desire! What most people dont know, is that the coverstock of a ball is responsible for 2/3 to 3/4 of the reaction of the ball. Thus, the block is more responsible for keeping the energy of the ball moving towards the pocket, and controling pin action! The radius of gyration differential (RG Differential), is most easily understood as: High diff- the drill of the ball will affect the way the ball reacts more significantly. Low diff- the drill of the ball will affect the ball reaction in a very light amount. Long story short- if you want a danger zone, but can't find one, drill this ball to yo

I was awrded this ball thorugh a league so I did not have to spend additional money to acquire this ball. Although I would if I had to because it is very predictable and has a very strong backend. I learned to throw a three fingered hook with this ball and in doing so have raised my average by about 20-30 pins while it is still rising. THis ball has greatly helped my game because it does the work for you. As long as you put spin on it the ball will destroy the pins. It creates a perfect angle into the pocket and sends the pins flying. I would not pess with his ball wothout googles on!!!!!

This is a good ball. When I fisrt got it I shot a 750 with it. I was happy witht his ball. I was looking for a ball with a good backend, and this is the one. I'm a person that puts a lot of revs on the ball, It looks good going down the lanes. With a lot of rev this ball will get a an 700 or 800 or 300. If your the kind of person that just roll the ball, then I dont think this ball is for you because this ball will not hook, if you jsut roll it with no rev. This ball needs oil, without oil this ball will hook off the lane. Anyway this is a good ball. thanks.