Why We’re Removing the Holes From the 3000 and 4000 TruCuT Ceramic Sanding Pads

One of the things we promised when we introduced the TruCuT Ceramic Foundation System was simple: we were going to keep learning.

This is new technology for bowling ball surface preparation, and thousands of real world uses teach us things that laboratory testing alone cannot.

One of the biggest things we have been watching is durability, particularly with the 3000 and 4000 grit Ceramic Pads when used with the StabiliPad.

So we made a change.

The 3000 and 4000 Ceramic Pads Will No Longer Have Holes In The Pad 

The original Ceramic Pads were designed with holes throughout the sanding surface. At the lower grits, 2000 grit and less we have a open weave design that provides benefits during the more aggressive cutting process.

But 3000 and 4000 grit are different.

These pads aren't being asked to remove as much material as aggressively. Their job is to refine the surface and create a much finer scratch pattern.

Through continued testing and customer feedback, we found that the holes simply weren't providing enough benefit at these finer grits to justify the potential tradeoff regarding durability.

More importantly, the area around those holes can become a stress point when the pad is being used with the StabiliPad or a high speed ball spinner.

Removing the holes gives the 3000 and 4000 grit pads a continuous ceramic sanding surface with fewer potential stress points.

These photos show the updated 3000 grit pad, removing the holes.

These photos show the updated 4000 grit pad, removing the holes.

That should translate directly into better durability without sacrificing performance.

Why Not Change Every Grit?

Because different grits do different jobs.

We aren't interested in making a change just so every pad looks the same.

The 500, 1000 and 2000 grit Ceramic Pads perform more aggressive surface modification, where the existing open weave design continues to make sense.

At 3000 and 4000, our testing showed us an opportunity to improve the product without changing what matters most: the surface it creates on the bowling ball.

The grit designation isn't changing.

The Ceramic technology isn't changing.

The required use of TruCuT Ceramic Conditioner isn't changing.

The Foundation System isn't changing.

We're simply removing something that our testing showed wasn't necessary at those finer grits and, in doing so, addressing one of the primary durability concerns we've seen from customers.

Does this mean the original pads were defective?

No. We did not say the original pads were defective. They delivered the surface performance they were designed to provide. As we continued testing and listening to customer feedback, we found a way to improve the durability of the 3000 and 4000 grit pads, particularly when used with a StabiliPad or high speed spinner.

Removing the holes is an improvement to the product we already had. It reduces potential stress points while keeping the grit and surface performance the same. This is ongoing product development, not a recall or a claim that the original pads were defective.

This Is What Product Development Looks Like

We could have ignored the feedback.

Instead, we tested it.

When enough bowlers tell us they are seeing something, we want to understand why. Sometimes the answer is education. Sometimes it's how the product is being used. And sometimes we find an opportunity to make the product better.

This was one of those opportunities.

The TruCuT Ceramic Foundation System was designed to solve a problem traditional sanding technology has struggled with for decades: keeping the surface you actually put on your bowling ball for longer.

Now we're working on making the pads themselves better too.

Same Ceramic technology. Same surface performance. Fewer stress points. Better durability.

That's the next evolution of TruCuT Ceramic.