Golfers with the skill to play fades and draws sometimes struggle to line up their body and clubface properly. This can lead to a couple of problems:

1. If the body is too open in relation to the clubface, the planned-for fade may become a slice. Likewise, a setup that’s too closed will turn a draw into a nasty hook.

2. If the body is square or very nearly square to the clubface’s aim, you’ll see little if any curve to the shot.

That’s why your address position is the most critical element involved in “working” the ball.

The good news is, a handy alignment aid is right under your nose – in fact, it’s right there on the ball.

The ball’s logo, whether it says “Titleist,” “Bridgestone,” “TaylorMade” etc, can be lined up to ensure that your feet and clubface are coordinated to hit a fade or draw. Of course, it can only be used on the tee, since you’re not allowed to move a ball in the fairway, rough or hazard. Still, you should take every advantage the game presents.

Here’s how it’s done:

• With the ball teed up, choose your target – the spot where you want the ball to finish.
• Find a small object directly between your ball and the target, such as a divot or broken tee.
• Now, rotate the ball’s logo to point left (fade) or right (draw) of the object so that it’s aimed down the line on which you want the shot to start.
• Address the ball by aligning the clubface with the target object (divot) and your feet with the ball’s logo. You’re all set.

Conversely, you can align the logo and clubface with the target object and shift your feet right or left depending on the desired shot. However, you’ll lose precision with this method as your foot alignment becomes more of a guessing game.