You're Correct!

To hit a straight golf shot you need to aim the golf club face directly at the target. To be aiming correctly, the club face should be at a 90 degree right angle with the target line (the line that travels directly from the golf ball to the target).

If you now swing the club head straight along this target line, whilst the club face aims down the target line, you will hit a straight golf shot. Golf shots only curve when there is a difference between the direction that the club head is being swung in (the clubs swing path) and the direction that the club face is aiming in. When there is a difference between face aim and swing path, then tilted axis spin is imparted on to the golf ball and this makes the ball curve during its flight.

To practice aiming the golf club face correctly, try the following drill. Stand directly behind the golf ball and place an alignment pole in front of the ball so that it points directly from the ball to the target. Place the club face next to the golf ball so that it makes a right angle to the alignment pole (or target line). This now has the club face aimed correctly. When you are out on the course though you can not place a pole down to show you the target line.

Stand directly behind the ball and looking from the target, draw a line in your mind back to the ball. Now pick a spot out on this line only about three inches in front of the ball. This could be a divot, different color piece of grass, twig, etc. Now work on aiming the club face so that it makes a right angle to this spot. Doing this will make it much easier to aim correctly as you are effectively just moving the target much closer to you and it is easier aiming at an object three feet away than it is aiming at one 300 yards away.

Doing this will produce golf shots that miss the target. If you stand in a position where the line across your toes hits that target, then because there is a gap between your feet and the golf ball, the line that the golf ball is on will travel parallel to your toe line and miss the target on the right.

If you do not bother to aim the club face at the target, then you will end up hitting your golf shots very inaccurately. To hit the ball towards the target and to hit straight, the club face must be aiming at the target and the club head must also swing at the target, along the target line.

The direction that you hit your golf shot in, is a product of the club heads swing path (the direction the club head is travelling in through impact) and the direction that the club face is aiming in through impact. If you have not aimed the club face correctly, then even if you swing the club head along the target line, if the club face is not aiming down the target line through impact, you will not hit a straight golf shot.