You're Correct!

Many golfers spend their whole lives searching for the answer of how to hit the ball perfectly straight.

However, the worlds best golfers have found that rather than trying to hit every shot straight, shaping the ball is a much more effective and simpler way to play. The reason many top players dont try to hit the ball perfectly straight is because the technical precision needed is very high.

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. This requires a perfect alignment and swing which is not possible all the time.

To hit a fade, the club will have to travel on an out-to-in swing path 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.

Both a draw and a fade shot are normally easier to reproduce and add more options when playing certain holes.

For example, a dog leg left hole is better tackled with a right to left ball flight whilst the opposite is true of a hole turning from right to left. Approaches to the green are also made more varied by being able to shape the ball. To enable golfers to hit these shots they first need to find out if they have a natural shot shape they can control. Use this drill to enable a better set up and assess a natural shot shape.

• From behind the ball, lock on to the target and draw a line back from the target to the ball. This line represents the ball-to-target-line.
• Just in front of the ball, pick something which sits on the ball-to-target line. On the course this could be something small like a different shade of grass or divot.
• After the ball-to-target line has been identified, move into the set up position and aim the club face at the intermediate target. This means at address, the club face is aiming at target.
• After the club face is aligned correctly, the toes, knees, hips and shoulders should be then set at right angles to the club face and ball-to-target line
• To find your own shot shape, hit balls to targets and see which way they move through the air. If they move from left-to-right a fade shot is your natural shape, from right to left a draw will be your most comfortable shot.
• Some players will hit balls to targets and the ball will travel dead straight. These are the lucky players whose natural shape is straight!

Although professionals have the skill to hit straight shots, many choose to shape the ball because they feel it enables them to control the ball better.

Whilst the technical skill required to hit a straight shot is difficult, it is not impossible and practising the straight shot technique is beneficial.

This is quite hard to disagree with, however, the chances of hitting a dead straight shot every time are quite low and there are only a few top professionals to ever manage it.