Li-Ning Bladex 800 Speed review: tight M46X speed twin
A friend lent me Li-Ning’s third-generation Bladex 800 line this quarter — 800 New feels recent, yet the brand already split the family into Speed and Power twins.
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Overview
A friend lent me Li-Ning’s third-generation Bladex 800 line this quarter — 800 New feels recent, yet the brand already split the family into Speed and Power twins. Five years post-Tokyo, Thunder, Halbertec, and Bladex have all levelled up. The question for 800 Speed is whether M46X earns the first “Speed” suffix on the card.
Speed first
In 5U, low swing weight, slim frame, and sharp aero add up to instant “this is fast.” The mould change from the first Bladex 800 is aggressive. Shuttle speed on first hits exceeded what I expected — early sessions the frame often outran the shuttle; timing and contact point needed recalibration. Official copy says “softer feel,” but it plays firm shaft, lively face: punchy, snappy short hits; flat exchanges in the mid-court get scary quick when both players are evenly matched.
M46X elasticity
M46X in the head is the difference versus older Bladex — elasticity shows from first touch. Load it with compact swings and the burst is outsized for the frame size — “thin branch, heavy fruit.” The whole racket feels tight; rear-court pressure is real, chains are wide, and recovery from scramble is strong. I had no hesitation driving from the back.
Control trade-offs
Speed eats some finesse budget. Face hold and torsion are fine; long clears track straight. Delicate net work and steep slices suffer — fast rebound makes net lifts easy to pop; rear-court slices fly flatter with less bite. When in doubt, solve problems with pace; that is the Power twin’s job.
Verdict
Bladex 800 Speed is a front-court and flat-drive weapon with legitimate rear-court burst for players who can retime their swing. Not the all-round touch frame — the red 800 Power covers that. For M46X speed fans, this is the twin I would demo first.
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