The swimmer “lies” in the water, the left hand dives into the water with stretched out arm, fingertips first. The view is directed towards the bottom of the pool. The right arm is at the end of the pressure phase.
The right arm is lifted out of the water. The upper part of the body rotates slightly to the side to facilitate “leading forward”. The legs beat up and down like a whip.
At this point the head is still under water. While the right arm is led forward the pulling phase of the left arm begins. The wrist points to the pelvic arch, the elbow stops and the forearm is guided towards the upper body.
The angle in the elbow joint is increasingly reduced. The right arm reaches shoulder height. The arm is thereby strongly bent in the elbow joint.
(Note: When the arm is moved forward, the hand is guided close to the face). The left arm is almost at right angle in the elbow joint (not clearly visible in the picture!) The view is still towards the pelvic floor.
The immersion phase of the right arm is prepared. The left arm reaches shoulder height under water, thus changing from the pulling phase to the pushing phase. At this point, the left hand is at navel height under the body.
Important: The arm is not moved sideways past the body, but with the elbow joint bent under the body. The immersion phase of the right arm is prepared. In this phase the swimmer exhales explosively.
The swimmer breathes in: the upper body turns to the left side. The head is not lifted. The right ear rests against the right upper arm.
The pulling phase of the left arm is finished and the arm is lifted out of the water elbow first. The rapid inhalation is finished. The head is put back into the water.
The traction phase of the right arm has begun. The left arm is led forward with bent elbow joint. The upper body is turned slightly to the left side.
The left arm reaches shoulder height. The right arm is still in the pulling phase under water. The upper body is still in a slight lateral position.
The view is towards the pelvic floor. The immersion phase of the right arm is prepared. The right arm changes from the pulling phase to the pushing phase. A new cycle begins.
