It would be like a flexible oar that is pushed side to side about a fulcrum by a single protein that shrinks & expands after contact with a single ATP molecule. Much simpler, IMO.
(I wish I had a good animation package; I'd illustrate it for you.)
At the very least you'd think the Designer would've made the whip more like a rigid propeller. I mean really, what the heck is that thing??? If it's so darn intelligent a design, then why don't we see boats being pushed along by a rotating whip instead of a rotating propeller? Just where are the real-world benefits of ID as a research program, anyway? :-)