In rowing (sport), the stroke is the action of moving the oar through the water in order to propel the boat forward.
[2] After the blade is placed in the water at the catch, the rower applies pressure to the oar levering the boat forward which is called the drive phase of the stroke.
Leg muscles are the main source of power in a stroke providing 60% The recovery follows the drive and returns the oar and the rower from the point of extraction to the catch.
The most notable difference is that the oar handles overlap in sculling at the midpoint of the drive, and again during the recovery.
While sculling is a fully symmetrical movement (with exception of the handle overlap), sweep oar rowing is slightly asymmetrical and many rowers strongly prefer one side to the other.