sweet spot

American  

[sweet spot] / ˈswit ˌspɒt /

noun

1. Sports. the spot on a club, racket, bat, etc., where a ball is most effectively hit.

2. a point, range, or particular set of conditions that will achieve the most desirable or effective outcome.

   The trick is finding the sweet spot between making the puzzle challenging but not impossible.

---

sweet spot British  

noun

1. sport the centre area of a racquet, golf club, etc, from which the cleanest shots are made

---

Etymology

Origin of sweet spot

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The deals are part of a run of small and midsize pharma acquisitions—a range that has become a sweet spot for companies seeking to bolster the work of their own labs or lineups.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Looking in the area up to $15 billion is our sweet spot,” Merck CEO Robert Davis said during a February earnings call.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the children had run directly northwest, along the seam between Peace and Progress, and if Clare stayed in the sweet spot where those realms met, their gravities would work against each other.

From Literature

“If you can spread your conversions out over a three- to five-year period right before retirement, that is often the sweet spot for conversion,” Hopkins said.

From MarketWatch

A 5% yield is something of a sweet spot.

From Barron's