Bowling is a sport for everyone. Even if you have long nails that you got painted recently, nothing can stop you from playing your favorite sport. However, if you want to protect your acrylic nails while you have an excellent time bowling, you can do that as long as you’re careful with your bowling approach.
In this article, I will talk about the difficulty that you might have to face when bowling with acrylic and fake nails. We will also look at overcoming those problems and having a great time at the bowling alley.
So, without wasting any time, let us get into this.
Can You Bowl With Acrylic Nails?
The first question you must consider is, can I go bowling with my long acrylic nails? Well, you most definitely can. But as I said before, you need to be careful. It will not be much of an issue if your nails are not too long. But if you spent a lot of money on your latest manicure, got fake nails, and painted them, you would not want to lose them while bowling.
Therefore, if you want to go bowling with acrylic nails, you must practice a lot. This practice must be for playing carefully with long nails without risking them too much.
You will want to use some protection tactics so that your nails remain risk-free, and at the same time, you can score strikes and spares against your mates.
Problems Faced When Bowling with Acrylic Nails
Worried about losing your long nails; Well, your worries are justified. You can face several problems if you are thinking of going bowling with long acrylic nails. Here are some of the major ones:
Nails Getting Chaffed
Bowling balls are not usually very light. So, if you are going to handle a bowling ball with long nails, it is possible that a bad posture or handling might end up hurting your long nails or chaffing them, leaving a mark on them.
Breaking due to Finger Holes
If you have long nails, steer clear of the finger holes in the bowling ball. Inserting your long-nailed fingers into the bowling ball would only jeopardize your nails and increase the chances of them getting stuck in the ball and breaking ultimately, which can be a huge problem.
Injuries on the fingers
Any breakage or tearing of your long acrylic nails or fake nails can leave long-term marks on your skin. You might even get hurt, and the broken nail might pierce the skin, and you might even see a bit of blood if you do not protect your nails well while you are bowling.
How to Bowl with Acrylic Nails
So, you want to make sure your nails are protected and you can go bowling with your friends and family at the same time; Well, lucky for you, there are many ways around this problem. Let us look at five ways to bowl with acrylic nails without endangering them.
1. Using the Granny Style Bowling Technique
Undoubtedly, the best way to protect your nails while having a blast in the bowling alley is the granny style of bowling. Sure, you will look funny doing it, but how many strikes and spares you can get matters.
The granny-style bowling technique allows you to throw the bowling ball without risking your fingernails because you are not handling the ball with your fingertips. You will not even need any nail protector or tape for this style of play. But you will need a bit of practice to get good at it. So let’s take a look at how you can bowl granny style.
- First, you are going to want to hold the bowling ball with both of your hands.
- Then, you will walk towards the foul line and stand right behind it because this style does not require you to take a long approach.
- Now, you will spread your legs, bend your knees, and bring the ball between your legs.
- Afterward, you will swing the bowling ball back and forth until you get the right speed and movement.
- Finally, you will throw the bowling ball at a low angle, knocking the pins at the end of the lane.
Getting strikes and spares is very common with the granny style, but you’ll have to perfect it. It may seem very easy to utilize, but it can be difficult to get a hold of.
2. Covering Fake Nails with Nail Protectors
If you do not like the granny style and want to play the right way, you will wish to use protection products for your nails so they do not break while you are bowling.
One of the best and most common products for protecting your nails from activities like bowling etc., is a set of nail protectors. These are great if you want to keep your pins safe.
You might be wondering how nail protectors work exactly; Well, nail protectors are to be worn over your fingertips so that they fit snugly on your fingers.
Once your nails are saved from any direct contact due to these nail protectors, you can bowl normally and even insert your fingers into the finger holes to bowl.
You can choose from many different types of nail protectors and brands. It would help if you ensured that these nail protectors are comfortable on your fingertips and fit perfectly.
You can find nail protectors here: Nail protectors
3. Applying Bowling Tape
If you are still feeling a little on the fence about the nail protector set, there is another excellent piece of equipment you can rely on if you are someone with long acrylic nails.
This equipment is called bowling tape. Usually, bowling tape is used only for the thumb and to save it from twisting or bending when the bowler throws the bowling ball.
However, you can use bowling tape to save your fingernails from tearing or breaking if you want to. All you need to do is apply the bowling tape around your fingertips, and you are all good.
The bowling tape will create a nice layer of protection around your fingernails which will help your long nails stay intact and be protected from any direct contact or breakage due to any mishandling of the bowling ball while playing with your friends, family or loved ones.
Here are some you can use: Bowling Tape
4. Putting on Finger Cots
Not even bowling tape seems comfortable enough for you to try out and bowl with your loved ones. Then, you can use another protection tool for your fake nails.
Finger cots are gloves for your fingertips and long nails. They are made of cotton fabric and incredibly soft, but at the same time, they are great at keeping your fingertips safe.
What they do best is that they provide a layer of soft protection to your long nails so that they do not come into contact with the bowling ball directly and stay safe at all times.
They are much more affordable than the other options I’ve discussed in this list. It is one of the best tools that you can use to protect your acrylic nails from breaking or tearing.
Here are some you can use: Finger Cots
5. Using Bowling Ramps
But if you are still unsure about using any tool over your acrylic nails and want to knock those pins at the end of the lane, there is one machine that can help you.
Bowling ramps are inclined slides for bowling balls that allow you to place them at a certain angle and throw the bowling ball without exerting force or making direct contact with the bowling ball.
These ramps are used mainly by small children or older people with disabilities because they want the best bowling experience without exerting excessive force on the ball.
You will want to take the bowling ball, ask for a bowling ramp, place the ball on top of the bowling ramp, and slide it down so that it reaches the pins and knocks them down. This will be fun, exciting, and safe for your long nails all at the same time.
Conclusion
Having acrylic nails, fake nails, or natural long nails does not mean you cannot have bowling fun. You have just as much right to go bowling as anyone else. However, it would be best to be careful with your bowling approach to protect your nails from getting damaged or the paint chipping off. With the abovementioned techniques, you can go bowling and protect your nails. I hope you learned a lot from this article and that you will have a great time in the bowling alley!
