  Angular distributions of $\phi$ meson decay amplitudes of $e^+e^-$ and
$K^+K^-$ channels are computed using both specific interaction Lagrangians and
simple arguments relying on angular momentum conservation. Based on the
obtained results, we assess methods to experimentally disentangle the
longitudinal and transverse polarization modes of the $\phi$ meson and discuss
advantages and disadvantages of employing either the leptonic or hadronic decay
modes for this task.
