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.

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sweet spot British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of sweet spot

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The sweet spot on the 10-year yield—when the market fears higher prices but before the Fed hints at cutting rates—could be between 4.5% to 4.75%.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

So is there a sweet spot, somewhere between voting in haste and having your ballot go to waste?

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

With a high five from Jost’s Hegseth, the line landed well, cutting through the sketch’s chaos with a joke that felt both pointed and intentionally over the top — that “SNL” sweet spot.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

Tech stocks, especially the so-called Magnificent Seven, are sitting in a rare sweet spot.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 26, 2026

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 "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman