Winning a golf tournament which matters to you isn't an easy task to set yourself. The very fact that it matters to you means that you become emotionally involved, and so you have to find a way in which to ensure that your emotions are controlled; you need to use your emotions to help you to win instead of allowing them to get in the way of your game.

The fact that you are even anticipating the possibility or potential of winning your tournament indicates that you know that you are good enough to do so. You have probably had pars or birdies on every single hole on the course, if not eagles or a delightful and slightly lucky hole in one. You know that you can play good enough golf to win. You also know that this is equally true of your competitors.

I was chatting to a male golfer the other day about a certain ladies tournament. He passed the comment that "those ladies get anxious" and so "you probably only need a couple of 85's to win". It was a fair observation. Upon closer examination, scores in that region had been enough to win that tournament in previous years. The inference was clearly that the ladies did not and would not play their best golf under the pressures of such an important tournament.

Another different conversation with one previous club champion revealed that she never, ever, competed against the other players; instead she always played the course. I heartily agree with her strategy, although this would not work for everyone. We each have our own individual temperament and emotional motivational strategies. The key is to discover the truth about what works for you. What is sauce for the goose is not always the best sauce for the gander.

When I want to win, I focus upon the things which I can control. I like to know where I stand and not to allow my emotions to be blown about like a leaf in the breeze. If I was competing against others my emotions would be subject to such fluctuations. If I felt I was going head to head against others, as one golfer got a par or a birdie it would affect me. If that person got a double bogie it would affect me.

Instead, by playing the course, I am purely dependent upon me. It is down to me to focus on each and every shot I take, to make wise shot choices and to commit to their execution. In this way I will play my best golf, irrespective of what is happening in everyone else's game. This is my strategy and it works for my temperament and emotional style.

You may be very different to me. You may love competition and thrive when challenged by your opponent's birdies. They may lift your mood and bring out your very best golf. Or, when another golfer hits a bad shot or misses a putt it may trigger off the killer instinct in you and fire you up to win.

Other people don't like to play with opponents who are having a bad day and find that this destroys their rhythm; if this is the case you have to learn to step back and not become emotionally involved or you will not be able to win. We each have our own unique temperament and emotional style; it's up to you to work out what works for you.

What is your best strategy to enable you to control and direct your emotions and hence win your golf tournaments? Only you can answer this question. There is no one single universal correct answer. Once you have found your own satisfactory answer to this question you will be in possession of the top tip to get you winning your golf tournaments.

Everyone knows that it is not technical ability which separates the winners from the losers in tournament golf. It is your mind which makes the difference.

Roseanna Leaton, avid golfer and specialist in golf hypnosis mp3s and author of the golfer within golf mind training system.

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