Sept. 8 -- Playoffs: Just the word itself conjures up memories of people performing extraordinary tasks under the brightest spotlight they were ever under: Journeyman pitcher Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, Timmy Smith's 202 yards rushing in Super Bowl XXI, The 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, you winning the club Championship. What does it take to make something like this possible?

What did we learn from this year's BMW Championship and this year's FedExCup playoffs? In this format there are so many competitors competing on so many different levels. You have the FedExCup itself, which barring something bazaar was locked up this weekend by Vijay Singh, the race for the top 30 for a trip to Atlanta and The Tour Championship, which includes invites to The Masters and U.S Open, and of course, the tournament itself. I believe the first step to becoming a better player is seeing yourself as that player. The amateur player should believe that their instructor is giving them the right information, work hard on their technique, and believe that they can do it. To be a successful player at any level you must believe that you can do it before you can. When away from the course, practice visualizing yourself with a five footer to win, getting up and down from the bunker, or splitting the fairway on the tightest driving hole on the course.

Camilo Villegas benefited from a stronger visualization of his putting abilities, leading to his first win on The PGA Tour. (Photo: Getty Images)

The BMW did not have one but two turning points -- both of them were turned in by eventual champion Camilo Villegas. The first one was not the four putt on the 9th green in the second round but in the way he put it out of his mind.

"It rattled me in a good way, because I had been putting so good all week and all of a sudden I four-putt," he told his caddy.

Instead of dwelling on those two bad strokes he chose to remember all of the good strokes that he had been making all week and last week when he finished second. Camilo then collected himself and went out and birdied the next two holes effectively erasing the four putt from the scorecard and more importantly, from his mind. The second time the BMW Championship could have escaped Camilo was Sunday on the 12th hole. He had hit three shaky shots with a tenuous one-shot lead over PGA Tour winners Anthony Kim and Jim Furyk. Camilo drilled a 10-footer for par, another 10-footer on the next hole for a birdie, and then nailed a putt from downtown Saint Louis on hole no.14 for some breathing room.

You can not go out and try to win a golf tournament. Like Sergio said "We practice hard to be up there or try to be up there every week or almost every week to have a chance of winning." Camilo has worked hard not only on his putting but his attitude towards his putting. He believes that he is now one of the best putters on the PGA Tour and is able to go out and make great strokes when he has to. I also believe that this is the first of many wins for Camilo because of that attitude and that he truly is one of the best putters on the PGA Tour.

And that will apply to you and your game as well. Winning and playing well is more than technique, more than course management -- it's also an attitude. Too many players seem to play out of fear and doubt. Believe you can hit the shot, believe you are a good putter. See yourself in pressure situations and coming through -- and you'll be surprised how often it happens. Good luck, I hope you all have a big breakthrough in your game like Camilo had in his.

Kevin Weeks is Director of Instruction at Cog Hill Golf & CC in Lemont, Ill. Kevin was the 2005 & 2007 Illinois Section Teacher of the Year and is one of the US Kids Top 50 Teachers. Kevin's teaches all areas of the game, but specializes in the short game and low handicappers. Kevin is the inventor of The Dynamic Impact Indicator, a system that uses laser technology to pinpoint the exact aim of the putter at address and impact. Over 55 PGA Tour Players visited the Putting Lab or work with Kevin at tour sites. Kevin also has a passion for developing complete junior golfers. In past 5 years 65 students have qualified for the Illinois State High School Championships with 22 students finishing in the top 20 including the 2002 state champion. He can be reached at Coghillpro@aol.com or through his website www.Kevinweeks.com