You're Correct!

The top professionals in the game can hit draws and fades when needed because of the hours they dedicate to practising their technique.

For amateur golfers to emulate this technique they must also be prepared to put in long practise sessions. However, there are a few tricks of the trade they can use to help give them a great chance of shaping shots. One of these is using the logo on the ball to align it and the club at address.

Firstly, golfers need to understand what is technically meant by a draw and fade shot because there is often some confusion.

To hit straight shots, the club face will travel on an inside-to-square-to-inside swing path with the club face square to the target line at impact. The target line is the most important thing to consider when judging how the ball has curved through the air.

To hit a fade the club will have to travel on an out-to-in swing path across the target line with the club face open to the swing path but slightly closed to the target line. To hit a draw the club will have to travel on an in-to-out swing path with the club face closed to the swing path but slightly open to the target line. This differential between the face angle and swing path will cause the spin axis of the ball to tilt and as the balls dimples interact with the air the ball will begin to curve.

The logo on the ball can help make these positions easier to accomplish by ensuring the club face is aligned correctly at address and then at impact. Use this guide to help align the golf ball and club for a draw shot, reverse the guide to hit a fade.

• First of all establish the target line
• Align the logo on the ball so it points just to the right of the target
• Set the club face behind the ball so it is at right angles to the logo (pointing just right of the target line.
• Swing the club on an in-to-out swing path moving from inside the target line to right of the target line.
• If the club face is at right angles to the balls logo at impact and the club path is moving out to the right of the target then a draw shape will be produced.

The balls logo is fine stamped on to the mantel at manufacture and adds no real weight to the ball. Therefore, using is to tilt the balls spin axis is impossible

Manufacturers have their own branding to identify golf balls which have greater spin rates than others. A Titleist Pro-V1 golf ball, for example, will spin more than a Pro-V1 X which has a different construction and is designed to travel further. Remember, however, that balls do not spin sideways they will always spin backwards, its only the tilt of this axis which causes different shot shapes.

Because the logo on the golf ball is printed on to the mantel during construction, a shot hit with the logo will fly exactly the same as one hit from a part of the ball with no logo. The ball logo can be used effectively to help a player shape a golf shot through the air.