I haven’t bought a ball in a long time that the reason for purchase was because the new release excited me. I remember being excited to get my first black hammer (and gasping at the $100 price) and original x-calibur (and gasping at the $140 price) but little since then.  

I don’t feel they have really introduced any thing new in the last 4 or 5 years. They tweak stuff but nothing really new in my book. And I don’t like heavy particle balls and light load particle are nothing but strong reactives in my book.

I buy balls to replace existing balls.

I buy balls to rekindle my interest in the game.

I buy balls to try a specific drilling that I think might work on a given condition.

But I seldom buy more than 2 balls a year.