Maintaining a stable core is an important part of a good freestyle.  This standard drill is a good one to remember to help accomplish this.

**Why Do It:**
Freestyle is faster when you rotate through a solid tube in the water, rather than squiggle down the pool.  This drill requires the swimmer to tighten the abs to maintain the straight line through the entire body.

**How to Do It:**
**1.**  Put on a pull buoy at the ankles, not between the thighs as typical.
**2.**  Push off and start swimming.
**3.**  Hold the pull buoy tight between the ankles by squeezing the legs together.
**4.**  Keep the hips at the surface by tightening the abs.

**How to Do It Really Well (the Fine Points):**
Limit the side-to-side movement of the legs while you're swimming.  Taller swimmers will move a bit more than swimmers who are more vertically challenged simply because of the longer line.  Holding the pull buoy in for longer swims will also show you another benefit of working the groin and inner parts of your legs.

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Freestyle - Ankle Pull Buoy