@markus_marthaler: Most swimmers know the core matters in freestyle, but ask them to actually feel it working and most come up blank. That’s because the tools people usually reach for don’t ask anything of the core at all. Take the pull buoy. It lifts your hips and legs into position for you, so your midsection never has to do any work to keep you balanced. It feels smooth and controlled, but that’s exactly the problem. Your core is doing nothing while you swim. A better way to feel it is to grip a kickboard between your thighs instead of holding it in your hands. With the board held there, your hips can’t swing loosely or drop on one side without you noticing immediately. Any stroke where your core isn’t engaged shows up right away as the board slipping, twisting, or dropping. Your core in freestyle isn’t about clenching hard like a plank. It’s more like a steady, light tension running through your midsection that keeps your whole body rotating together instead of your arms and legs moving independently of each other. Swim a few lengths with the board between your thighs and pay attention to what kind of tension keeps it steady. That’s the feeling to carry with you once the board comes out. Your core doesn’t switch on just because you know it should. It switches on when something forces it to. Have you tried the kickboard between the thighs before? What did you notice? Tell me in the comments.

markus_marthaler

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Wednesday 29 July 2026 15:28:59 GMT