You're Correct!

To hit a straight golf shot, the club face needs to be aiming directly at the target whilst the club head swings directly at the target, along the target line.

In order to be able to swing the club head directly along the target line, you need to position your body, your shoulders, hips, knees and toe line parallel to the target line.

The best way to do this is to imagine a railway line in front on you. The far railway is the line that the golf ball is on and this rail will travel from the ball to the target. You need to stand on the near rail which is parallel to the far rail. However, as this rail is parallel to the other one, it does not hit the target.

It travels to the left of the target as it remains parallel to the line that the ball is travelling down to the target. So correctly aimed, your body will be parallel left of the target.

A great drill to help you achieve this parallel left position and to get used to the feeling of this as you look up at the target is as follows. Take two alignment poles. Place one on the ground from the ball towards the target. Now place the other alignment pole parallel to this but about two feet to the left. Stand so that your feet and toes are parallel to this pole. You do not need to stand right up against this pole, just ensure that you have the same gap between the pole and the toes of each foot.

Ensure that your hips and shoulders are also parallel to the alignment pole and your body is now aimed correctly at the target to enable you to hit straight golf shots at the target.

If you do not aim your body correctly, you will find it very difficult to swing the club head correctly along the target line. You will tend to swing the club head parallel to your body, so if your body is not in a position parallel to the target line, then the club head will swing across the target line. If your club face is aiming at the target as you do this, you will now impart tilted axis spin on to the golf and the ball will curve during its flight.

If you aim left of the target this will promote an out to in swing path as you strike the golf ball. With the club face aiming at the target, the difference between club face aim and club head direction of travel, will cause the golf ball to curve to the right during its flight. You must aim parallel left of the target to hit a straight golf shot at the target.

To hit a straight golf shot you need to set up so that your body, your shoulders, hips, knees and toe line are all parallel to the target line. If you set up with your shoulders, hips and toe line aiming in different directions, then you are making it very difficult to repeatedly swing the club head along the target line. Sometimes it will swing parallel to your shoulders, sometimes parallel to your toes and this will affect the club heads swing path through impact. To ensure straight shots at the target and a swing path directly along the target line, set all of your body up parallel to the target line.