Yepp, this is the way to go. But, you dont need to drill holes, otherwise the screws will be too loose and they will probably fall out with the mechanical stress they are under.

The screws mostly cut their way thru the wood themselves. You just need a thick needle to just make a LITTLE hole at the correct position. Then hold the screw straight and turn it into the wood with just a bit of pressure. So the wood closes in the screws and they are fixed like in a concrete block.