By Matt Slater Golf editor

Coach Bradley has worked on Rose's physical and mental game

Justin Rose has credited changing his coach midway through the season for his return to tournament-winning form.

The 26-year-old Englishman told BBC Sport that new coach Nick Bradley has given him "a fresh outlook".

"Before Nick I was expending my energy on areas that weren't bearing fruit," said Rose, who won the Australian Masters last month.

"Nick simplifies things and when things are simple they're easy to trust, believe and replicate."

Rose split with old coach David Leadbetter in May after an indifferent start to his third season on the US Tour.

But having linked up with Bradley, Rose's results gradually started to improve.

A poor summer for the pair was soon forgotten when the South African-born Rose scorched his way through September.

A tie for fourth at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston was followed by two straight top-15 finishes, before ending the month in Texas with a share of second.

A great September could have been even better had he been able to hold on to his 54-hole lead at the Canadian Open, but instead he carded a four-over 74 to finish in a share of 14th.

Rose says he constantly works on his posture

In October, Rose again came close to a first US Tour victory at the Disney Classic in Florida - having opened with a course record, again he slid back to fourth.

But his wait for a victory was soon over as he held on for a two-shot win at the Huntingdale course in Melbourne. It was his first European Tour triumph for over four years.

"The win really validated the previous three months' golf," said Rose, who rose to 51st in the world rankings as a result of his late-season flourish.

"I'd been playing really nicely, getting myself into contention a lot, but to win was really the icing on the cake.

"I was always going to start 2007 in a good frame of mind but this really boosts that."

606 DEBATE: Give your thoughts on Rose's return to form

Rose, whose career path has never been entirely smooth, believes the seeds of that win were sown during his Indian summer in the States.

"The consistency was really good. Week in, week out, I was getting in the thick of things," said Rose, who won four times in 2002 and reached 36 in the rankings before losing his way slightly in the intervening years.

I'm always in front of the mirror in my hotel room checking my posture Justin Rose

"I was getting more and more comfortable with those situations and this is one reason why I won in Australia. I felt really calm and relaxed out there."

Of course, another reason why Rose won Down Under is Bradley.

"Maybe I had been working too hard on technique - trying to get too perfect with it," said Rose about his golf in the first half of the year.

"I wasn't really playing the game. I wasn't seeing what is required in terms of getting the ball in the hole in the least number of shots. Nick helped me focus on a few key areas."

Bradley, who ironically also trained under Leadbetter, has already told BBC Sport about those areas - Rose's posture, his transition from back swing to down swing and the release of the club through the ball.

"Posture is crucial," agreed Rose. "If you're not set up correctly you've got no chance.

"I work on it day in, day out. I'm always in front of the mirror in my hotel room checking my posture."

Rose has disposed with the services of Leadbetter (right)

Rose said the most important tweak made by Bradley was lowering his right side at the address in order to get more weight behind the ball and trigger the weight transfer in the back swing.

Bradley, who has just set up his first golf academy in South Carolina, is also a great believer in something he calls "emotional intelligence".

"This means keeping my emotions under wraps, being smart out there, not wasting energy in areas that are unnecessary," explained Rose.

"The other thing Nick is very good on is course strategy - breaking a course down and seeing it as it should be played."

Bradley has tipped his charge to be British number one within a year and whatever it is that he is doing for Rose, it is clearly working.

It seems the player who burst on to the scene at the 1998 Open as a 17-year-old amateur, before disappearing under the weight of enormous expectations, only to re-emerge in 2002, before going missing again, is finally ready to make a lasting impression on the golf world.