So you've reached single figures ... and probably progressed even further to a six or seven handicap. It's time to take the next step.

The difference between solid single-figure players and those players who reach two, one or scratch is the ability to play a variety of approach shots to leave better opportunities at making birdie.

The way courses are designed these days - big greens with plenty of pin positions - demands that better players be able to move the ball left to right and right to left - ie, fade and draw their approach shots - to get the ball close with minimal risk of missing the green.

A lot of my students make the mistake of believing every shot should be a straight shot. They rarely make provision for shaped shots. Great players such as Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Corey Pavin have always been shapers of the ball; the way courses are designed they know they need to hit fades and draws too, not just straight shots.

The fade and the draw are similar in that the swing doesn't change. Only the set-up changes for each shot.

For a fade, aim your body in the direction you want to start the ball (left of the target for right-handers), while aiming the clubface toward where you want the ball to finish, ie the target (pic 1).

There are some other subtle changes to a normal set-up that will help the ball fly with a fade. Your ball should be positioned forward of your normal ball position, which encourages hitting across - or slicing across - the ball, producing more fade spin (pic 2).

The follow-through for a fade is not a normal one, either. You should feel like the clubface stays open through impact and releases skyward (inset, left).

For a draw, the clubface again points at the target while your body aims in the direction you want to start the shot (pic 3). Position the ball further back in your stance than normal, which will encourage hitting with draw spin. For a draw, make sure your right-hand turns the club over a little bit or releases in the follow-through (pic 4 & inset).

When hitting these shots, it's important that you not try to hit a hook or draw or fade or slice, but rather set up correctly and just hit it with your normal swing. Many players try to "pull" a draw shot back around to the target, and try to "push" a fade rather just swinging down their body line.

Trust your set-up and swing along these body lines, not towards the target - otherwise your shot execution will suffer.

Body and feet aligned left and the club at the target ... a fade will result. Body and feet aligned right and club at the target ... a draw will result.