The curvilinear path in elite swimming is not an illusion caused by body rotation or elbow flexion. It’s undeniably present in the world’s fastest swimmers.
Because of the feedback we’ve gotten on Facebook, I will offer a short explanation of what I mean by “S-pull” and how all elite swimmers today show it in their stroke.
After getting many comments about this post on Facebook, Sheila Taormina has written a response that more fully explains the S pull in swimming in this new post: Let’s Talk About the S Pull in Swimming.