The return to the catch, in exactly reverse order: arms, body, legs. It takes about twice as long as the drive — that is the 1:2 ratio.
Rowing has two halves and beginners treat only one of them as technique. The recovery is not a pause between strokes, it is the phase in which the boat actually runs — a ratio of roughly 1:2, twice as long coming forward as going back, is what makes that glide possible. Think of it like breathing: a short firm exhale, an inhale twice as long and calm. The order is the exact reverse of the drive: extend the arms, hinge the body forward from the hips, and only then let the knees rise. Break the knees early and you collide with your own hands. Rush the slide and you ruin not just the run of the boat but your own endurance: the rate climbs, the length shrinks, the sequence blurs. If you want one thing to work on, slow the recovery rather than pulling the drive harder.