<div>In my opinion you must distinguish between a Great Ball and a Ball that is Great. Having said that a Ball that is Great has to fit several criteria. In no particular order</div>
<div>1) Looks, (and yes black looks good)</div>
<div>2) Not performance specific ( it can be tuned to cover a very wide range of conditions)</div>
<div>3) Driller friendly ( do need an a degree in Physics in order to understand and apply the drill patterns)</div>
<div>4) User friendly ( fits nearly all styles ) </div>
<div>5) Marketability ( can grow sales legs and continue to be popular for a long time) </div>
<div>6) Performs as advertised ( just becausew the marketing says so doesn't always mean it actually does what they said)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A Great Ball  is one that performs on what it is designed to be used on, may look good but is Great at doing the job it was meant to do. A Great Ball is usually followed up quickly by another version using the same core with a differnet cover in order to Create another Great Ball with a different performance or good on a different pattern etc. </div>
<div>Just my opinion. </div>
<div>Any comments? </div>

One thing that I think might be missed here and it is a small factor, but I think an important one, is durability.  I have used a lot of equipment in the past 15 years, and perhaps is has to do with my lower rev rate, but performance dwindles with time.  Perhaps in the 90's the oil wasn't put down with as much volume, or perhaps covers weren't as absorbent, but there is a distinct fall off in performance in just a month of usage (2-3 leagues a week + practice), no matter how much I clean it.

If I get a good matching ball, my average will go up, and honor scores will follow with a new ball, then they fall off.  And I know it isn't just me, it happens to most of the people I bowl with.  I think a great ball should maintain a semblance of it's original reaction for months, not just weeks.

This also factors into your original point about the 3-6 month rollout of new equipment.  A lot of people love the "new ball" reaction.  The extra pop on the backend and carry that comes with that.  For people who can afford it, they will just buy a new ball when they see a reduction in their ball reaction.

Yeah, just define "great". For some, the ball they shot their 300 with is "great", for others it's the big hook, versatility or utility to purpose. IMHO, this discussion is futile if you lack a definition or framework.

And just because many players use a certain ball or talk about it does not mean that it is "great". Many very good offerings from small brands or manufacturers are easily overlooked, and hardly get the hype they might deserve.

Agree with the durability aspect, though, which also includes ease and intensity of maintenance.

Phil,

 You have asked a question that sounds reasonably simple, but is actually harder to answer than you might think.

 What makes a ball great really isn't something that I think is quantifiable. If it were, making great balls would be as simple as plugging in the numbers and figuring out which way to go. Everyone knows it isn't that simple.

 A ball that's great should cover a wide variety of conditions, and do so for a wide variety of bowlers. Balls that have done so in the past have usually become referred to as "great" balls.

 A couple of the balls that jump to mind when talking about balls considered greats, are the original Brunswick Danger Zone, and the Ebonite Vortex2. Both of these balls were pieces that worked for a large portion of bowlers, and did so over a wide variety of lane conditions, and seemed to work just as well for crankers playing deep inside and strokers playing the twig. I can remember when it was hard to find my ball on the return because, out of the ten balls up there, eight of them were probably Danger Zones.

 But, just having a ball with those qualities does not ensure that it will fall into the category of greatness, because a ball needs to be popular and recognized by the bowling public as being superior, and that can only happen through exposure, and this is something that is becoming harder and harder to do, especially with the market saturation we are seeing today.

 What makes a ball great? Here are things I think are important.
1. Performance
2. Versatility
3. Visibility
4. Durability
5. Availability
6. Looks

 P.S. For what it is worth, I really don't feel like most big manufacturers even allow balls to stay on the market long enough to become "great". Couple that with the fact that the big manufacturers expect their staff players to throw the "new" stuff on the TV show to bolster sales of the latest versions, and it begins to become obvious why nothing stays around and visible long enough to be considered "great".
 
 An exception would be the Storm Hy-Road, and that is a ball that Storm has been trying to find a way to kill off for two years now by trying replacement after replacement, all of which have failed to perform well enough to kill it. In the old days, this ball would've been a contender for the "great" term.

I think you are right on, the industry has prevented great balls from having the longevity balls of the past have had.
1) Every July 1st is happy new ball day, why is that the case?

 People, being what we are, are ALWAYS looking or that edge, that little bit that will let us outperform our opponents AND our previous bests. Sadly, the major manufacturers have played on that, and have flooded the market with piece after piece, every time extolling the greater virtues of each new piece over the last.

2) Is the next ball really better than the last?

 No, but you already knew that.

3) The new balls that are coming out in July, are they really better than the ones launched last year?

 Again, no they are not, but the manufacturers have convinced a greedy and gullible consumer that the best thing for them to do is have the newest pieces possible, just in case it might make a difference.

4) The issue has become marketing vs. performance. If we are told they are better they must be!

EXACTLY!

I have a different approach.

 Yes you do, and I believe you are on the right track. Thing is, I am only one person, and from what I can see, the masses and multitudes couldn't care less about tried, true, and proven performance. Seems all anyone cares about anymore is having the latest and shiniest "new toy" available to them.