heat check
Hot-hand gamble
A heat check is a shot taken by a basketball player who has made several baskets in a row, testing whether their hot streak will continue.
The term has spread beyond basketball to describe any confident attempt made while riding a wave of recent success.
After closing three deals in one week, asking for a raise felt like a heat check.
The implication is that the person knows they might be pushing their luck but wants to see just how far the momentum carries.
- hot streakSustained period of success
- shootingDischarging a weapon
- basketballTeam sport with hoops
- in the zoneState of optimal focus
- confidenceSelf-assurance or trust
swagger · gunner · rhythm · clutch · on fire · scoring · buckets · splash · unconscious · momentum · shot selection · audacity · range · dagger · microwave · chucker · green light · catch fire
- basketballbasketball, rebound, dunk, basketball camps, dribble
- seasonal choresleaf raking, raking leaves, snow shoveling, shoveling snow, gutter cleaning
- basketball slangairball, alley-oop, ankle breaker, baller, ballin
- machining defectsburr, burrs, chatter, tool mark, overcut
- jump shotsjump shot, pull-up jumper, fadeaway, step-back, turnaround jumper
heat checkplaying it safe
Avoiding unnecessary risk
hesitation · second-guessing · gun-shy · pressing · overthinking
heat checkcold streak
Prolonged period of failure
ice cold · bricking · struggling · in a funk
heat, check, heats, heated, heating, heater, heaters, checks, checked