@markus_marthaler: Most swimmers know the core matters in freestyle. Very few can actually feel it while they swim. Knowing it and switching it on in the water are two different things. The core in freestyle isn't about bracing hard or doing crunches in the water. It's a light, constant tension through the middle of the body that keeps you rotating as one piece. Shoulders and hips turning together. When it's on, the power from your pull travels through your body into your hips. When it's off, the top half and the bottom half go their own way. Hips swing, legs drift and the pull leaks out somewhere in the middle. The pull buoy doesn't help here. It lifts your hips for you, so your core can switch off and you'd never notice. My suggestion: swap it for a kickboard. Hold it lightly between your thighs instead of the buoy. Now your hips can't cheat. Every stroke without core tension shows up straight away. The board twists, tips or starts to sink. Keep it steady and you're doing it right. Start slowly. A few lengths, focusing only on keeping the board quiet. Then take it away and swim normally, holding on to that same feeling. That's your core. Now you know what it feels like. Have you ever tried a kickboard between your legs instead of a pull buoy?

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