2 drills that help Korn Ferry Tour Player earn PGA Tour Card
Although the PGA Tour season is about to be completed, those tours on the minor league tour are still competing for promotions in the 2026 season. There are only four events left on the calendar, and the people outside have run out of time.
A professional no Emilio Gonzalez wants to know the fate of 2026. The 27-year-old finished seven top 10 in the CV this season, finishing second and wins, finished fourth in the KFT standings and locked his PGA Tour card next season.
Gonzalez’s coach, Golf 100 teacher Tony Ruggiero, after winning Boise over the weekend, shared some of the drills they’ve been doing throughout the season to keep his swing in solid form. Check them out below. They can also help with your swing.
Gonzalez’s preferred swing training
I started working with Emilio Gonzalez about seven years ago when I visited my alma mater, St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. Right now, I can say he has something special – not only in his swing, but also in thoughtful questions, he asked what real improvements are needed. One of the biggest lessons Emilio has learned on the go can also help with your game.
What sets Emilio apart is his deep understanding of swing tendencies – I like to call him “golf DNA.” Like the rest of us, Emilio has certain modes in his swing. These don’t go from one round to another randomly. The key to long-term development is to learn your personal tendencies and then develop a plan to monitor and improve them over time.
This approach has paid off in a big way lately: Emilio recently won the Korn Ferry Tour in Boise, winning him the 2026 PGA Tour card. If you can work with your coach to identify and understand your tendencies and develop a plan to stay ahead of the curve – you will see real, lasting progress.
These are two exercises Emilio uses regularly to monitor and manage his trends.
1. Resistive drill
We use the elastic knee/hip strap of the pivot pack in almost every exercise. The band is located above Emilio’s knees. During the swing, he turned around and pushed towards the band. This will attract the core, stabilize the lower body and reduce lateral movement – help him rotate instead of sliding.
Emilio also focuses on keeping the right knee bent. This enhances the correct feeling of turning the ball behind rather than moving or drifting, which can lead to problems like reverse pivots. If you tend to slide too much in the back row, this drill could be a game-changer.
2. Takeaway diamond
One of Emilio’s old habits was to open clubs in the early days of takeaway, rather than leaning against the plane with a square face. This can lead to inconsistent contact, start line and curvature.
To correct this, we use segmented swing diamonds. At waist height, Emilio paused to check if his trail wrist was properly articulated and bent – the club surface was square, forming a 90-degree angle to the swing plane.
He then continued his swing to the top, focusing on keeping his knees curved and square face. Sometimes we will place an alignment rod or shaft on the ground next to his trail leg to enhance proper lower body stability and prevent any slippage.
This exercise can help him keep the club in a perfect position consistently and do the same for you.
Adhere to effective methods
Improvements are not constant pursuit of new tips. It comes from understanding your trends, the purpose is to practice, and stick to a drill or two for work your swing.
Find out your swing DNA. Learn to monitor it. Just like Emilio, you will be getting real results.
