Deadly sportsman twirling stick at amateur (7)
I believe the answer is:
matador
'deadly sportsman' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'twirling stick at amateur' is the wordplay.
'twirling' is a reversal indicator.
'stick' becomes 'rod' (I've seen this in another clue).
'amateur' becomes 'am' (as in am-dram).
'rod'+'at'+'am'='rodatam'
'rodatam' reversed gives 'MATADOR'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for matador that I've seen before include "he aims to get a bull" , "paid killer" , "Performer in the Ring" , "One in the ring" , "Spanish killer" .)