Rory McIlroy has finally admitted it took him far longer than expected to adjust to his new clubs after his much-publicised equipment change in early 2013.
The world No 1 signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike at the end of a successful 2012 campaign in which he won his second major at the PGA Championship and topped the world rankings as well as money lists on both the European and PGA Tours.
But his form took an alarming dip throughout the following year, although he was reluctant to blame his change of club manufacturer as he insisted issues off the course were primarily to blame as he tumbled out of the world's top 10.
The 25-year-old almost went through 2013 without a victory, but gave himself a huge confidence boost after snatching the Australian Open title ahead of Adam Scott in December.
McIlroy's win at Royal Sydney gave him momentum going into this year, and he enjoyed the best season of his career as he collected two majors, his first WGC title and firmly established himself as the best golfer on the planet.
"The Australian win at the end of a very lean 2013 was a welcome bit of form," said McIlroy after being named Sportsman of the Year by Reuters. "It was the coming together of some hard work on many aspects of my game and becoming completely comfortable with the club changes I'd made.
"I then had the confidence to get the job done. I'd say it was worth the wait to get things properly in place. The major wins were really a continuation of that process.
"And, of course, hugely important, satisfying and evidence that I could win majors when I had to dig deep, rather than by comfortable margins. But don't get me wrong. I've nothing against a comfortable margin."
McIlroy also believes his improved maturity and mental strength contributed largely to his remarkable form over the last 12 months, and he is looking forward to keeping his world No 1 status for some time to come.
"With my swing, clubs and fitness in place, I feel confident enough to go out and win"
"Two years on tour is quite a long time, even as a 25-year-old," he added. "I also think my game and mental approach are in many ways linked. With my swing, clubs and fitness in place, I feel confident enough to go out and win.
"Perhaps a lot of the maturity is just an extended learning curve, with each experience, good or bad, another lesson in patience, course management and knowing when, or when not, to take a risk."
As well as his individual success during the year, McIlroy also produced one of the greatest Ryder Cup performances in history in the singles at Gleneagles as he romped to a 5&4 victory over close friend Rickie Fowler.
'Confidence'
McIlroy raced out of the blocks with four birdies and an eagle over the first six holes, and Fowler had no answer to the all-round quality of the world No 1.
"That was really down to a confidence thing," McIlroy said. "I'd been playing really well, my swing was in great shape and I felt I knew what I needed to do to get a win on the board - get off to a fast start.
"The early birdies that day came as a result of some excellent driving, which effectively took any trouble out of the equation on the opening holes and allowed me relatively easy approaches.
"I thought that if I was well under par by the turn I would be difficult to catch."
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