Drive
 As far as drive is concerned, there are three types:
with the elbow low, which is less convenient and provides little propulsion due to the small quantity of water that is pushed behind;
drive with outstretched arms is more advantageous than the previous one but presents some disadvantages. In fact, in the initial phase of the stroke, the force directed downward is excessive and that causes the body above all to rise out of the water rather than move forward, in the final phase the force directed upward becomes excessive and consequently the body is pushed down and not forward.
The best drive is the one able to mitigate pushes upward and downward, it is therefore similar to drive with outstretched arms, but it tends to bring the elbow higher up in the initial phase, bend the arm during drive, and make it almost outstretched at the end.
Positioning the hand
In order to have good propulsion the position of the hand is also important. Five variables have been studied and from the research conducted the most favorable position is to have the curved hand "slightly cupped" with the fingers slightly spread apart, which considerably reduces whirlpool resistance and improves propulsion.
Keeping the fingers completely spread apart, as well as keeping them completely together, implies considerable additional effort by the swimmer, who will tend to get tired faster.
Despite the importance of the position of the hand, it must also be kept in mind that a good instructor dwells on macroscopic details and not on smoothing out slight imperfections, which, above all in athletes, tend to be compensated for by strength and ability.
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