Li Ning Lt66 Power String Review
This review is 6,563 words—my last I gear post before midterm finals. It includes Li-Ning's new LT66 POWER string and GP100 PRO overgrip. Likes and comments hel…
Overview
This review is 6,563 words—my last I gear post before midterm finals. It includes Li-Ning's new LT66 POWER string and GP100 PRO overgrip. Likes and comments help me hit the 24-hour hot list; thanks for fueling the updates. Next up: Anta Sound 1000 gift box unbox and review. Introduction M46X carbon—do you think Anta Sound 1000 first, P.R. Yu Ying I tested before, Oli Feel the Breath, or something else? I happen to have four M46X flagship rackets from different brands; two reviews still pending after finals. Bladex 800 Speed came from Li-Ning PR with new flagship domestic string LT66 POWER (LT61 POWER launched alongside—I'll report if I try it) and pre-release GP100 PRO grip. After real court time, this 800 Speed tuning stood out among same-starting-line M46X flagships. Is this the big-brand tune that wins back national-team sponsorship? Or rumor true—Anta Sound 1000 OEM'd by Li-Ning so they got extra M46X reps? Let's dive into all three new Li-Ning products. Bladex 800 Speed theme: "Butterfly Flame." Midnight matte black pearl base like quiet sky. vs POWER's hot red flame, SPEED's flame is cold, fast blue. Shaft blue-gold fire trails wing to 5–7 o'clock frame—spiraling blue blaze. Gold thread edges like sparks on black—bright yet restrained. Keeps "butterfly" DNA but shifts from micro wing texture to macro flight path. Under paint: blue stickers plus subtle silver-grey matte and local silver/gold foil—layers appear as light moves. Li-Ning "paint factory" still Ferrari—calm far, craft up close. Pure black plus cold blue flame fits speed identity—night assassin waiting to draw. State 2: new with film, empty—balance 295 mm, weight 84.04 g Core tech 1. M46X ultra carbon: Fluid aero frame adds M46X + Ultra elastic carbon—light yet stronger support and rebound; higher rigidity/modulus boosts speed and continuity. 2. ACCELE TECH: High-modulus elastic carbon with Li-Ning process—rebound and exit speed up. 3. 6.8 mm Hard Flexible / Stabilized Elastic Shaft: High-density damping in shaft—shock down, rigidity and torque up, rebound and speed up, force focused, control accurate—"fast, accurate, stable." 4. HDF Shock Absorption System: High Density Fibre with light damping— smoother transfer, stable rapid recovery, less arm/wrist shock. Still—I shelved my LD800 LT main and ran Bladex 800 Speed hard to learn it fast. First clears: Li-Ning's 6.8 mm damped shaft elastic despite stiff label—drive easier than expected, lines tight, no float. Backhand quality clear needs good mechanics; LT66 POWER helps reach back. Front court is where Bladex 800 Speed dominates—hold vs direct crisp exit balanced; flat drive/block super continuous and stable, pace up no wobble. High-intensity front rally—top-tier continuity, hard to fault. Net: clear feedback, decent hold; brush and reverse corner comfortable, high-quality net control. Confidence on placement—block, drop, gap punch all track; smooth yet solid. I still mentally filed it as front weapon—pounce net, short flick kill snaps off fast, sharp, strong—mid-front chance feels hopeless for opponents. I felt I lost rear scoring until college coach tried my racket—said it felt like Guangzhou sponsor gear, rear court fine too. Told me drop bias and smash rear for points. Plot twist: large head, short shaft, long handle "front" layout still rear-attacks well vs my LD800 LT months—focus strong, head feel lighter, shuttle not heaviest but far above my guess. String bed spacing normal—not ultra-dense; focus from M46X stiff frame plus LT66 POWER chemistry. Speed high but fluid aero frame won't beat wide aero big brother Bladex 900 New. Maybe not one-shot floor nail, but continuous attack and rhythm manipulation—control or kill to end. Defence as speed frame: 293 mm balance plus fluid aero eases rear cannon; shaft elastic helps deep lift and split; front press continuity and passive recovery among best speed frames I've used. I just learned LT66 POWER is domestic—I wrongly assumed LT was Japanese; N series is. Elasticity top among neighbors (0.65 BG66 Force & XB65, 0.66 NBS-66N & NBG98, 0.68 BG80 & BG80 Power). Feel fairly hard, tone beautiful—near my BG80 Power and high-tension 65 Ti love, not 0.63 XB63/Z63X "ding" but more "dong" thump. Control: CNT coat—not rough, not slick, almost no straightening; no run after friction shots; slice/hold/brush OK. Tension hold: excellent—~3 sessions/week doubles 2–3 hours, barely changed until last session started softening—still good feedback, surprised me. Feel: hardness below Z63X and 80(P), above DING, then LT66 POWER, then XB63—medium-stiff, not mushy; damping enough, no bad buzz, clear shuttle state—official shock score 9 still felt fine to me. Durability: week three, no fray yet—early adopters will tell final lifespan. I usually play YONEX strings—no LT66 vs LT66 POWER A/B from me; others have if you care LT61/LT66 POWER vs old LT66. Line exceeded expectations—~35–40 RMB now, likely 30–35 later—probably my new default. Old fans know I'm Astrox 99 Pro gen-one Sun Red loyal—992 (2AX99PRO) ran orange BG80 Power until orange 80P discontinued; five Sun Reds idle. LT66 POWER is cheaper similar feel—but no orange, or it'd be my 992 string. (PR—please orange LT66 POWER!) I'm picky wrapping—perfect butt and parallel body can take 15–20 minutes. GP100 PRO domestic polyurethane stretch beats expectation—sexy round butt, no ugly crease, good recovery. Old GP1000 (NEW) stretch weak—I still have half box yellow, now use cheaper milk grip with better stretch, slightly less sweat. 1200 mm length: one-layer butt reaches cone junction with spare—good if you wrap to cone top. I stop at junction with trim; two-layer butt barely fits— useful to lower balance. Dry feel, more grain than tack, soft-comfy—comfort slightly above YONEX 102C. Platform ~21–25 RMB like 102C. I sweat easily—coding or holding hands, GP100 PRO top-tier sweat grip among premium sweat types. Soaked after long rally and full smash, friction holds—rear cannon stays on. When wet, grain fades to moist/sticky comfort—still OK shock, no slip panic. Ten-minute break in bag, four faces to air → ~70–80% dry, grain returns. Flat on bench three faces ~50–60% dry, even wetness across faces—good wick spread. Durability TBD after weeks—high-intensity floor dives only scuff, no cheap grip long peel—maybe run until colour mismatch. ~7 RMB per wrap—not cheap, performance truly top; 102C users unhappy with stretch/1100 mm length should try this upper substitute—price aside, excellent. Standout: Li-Ning's "tier-above" M46X tune—not dumb stiffness but stable toughness. Frame hold time perfect—wrap and control confidence; exit shows solid support and fast elastic release—fast stable trajectory. Flat drive joy; active press gives focused feedback— even this rear attacker enjoyed front-rear shuttle. LT66 POWER and GP100 PRO were bonus hits—LT66 POWER elastic, tone, tension hold ≈ BG80 Power substitute (no orange, sob). GP100 PRO sweat, stretch, dry feel vs 102C. Some may call it "plain"—no one extreme spec (wait for POWER for that). Check price: M46X flagship speed tune, not rush job—often under 1,000 RMB, sometimes under 900 in promos. Li-Ning's loose SPEED pricing shows confidence—good play, insane value for last year's flagship dreams. Makes me hungry for Bladex 800 POWER—SPEED already nailed M46X tough-fast; POWER "heavy-through" rear tune could Halbertec 9000 Power-repeat hype. Bladex 800 Speed: mature, complete top speed frame—no gimmick, solid feel, friendly price, broad appeal. Want one racket for full doubles coverage with flagship materials and stupid value? This "Butterfly Flame" speed belongs on your short list. (Bladex 800 Speed, LT66 POWER, GP100 PRO provided by Li-Ning—thanks. Personal experience only; see you for Anta Sound 1000 gift box review.)
Paint
Li-Ning designer nawu73 has been muted and durable lately—Bladex 880 SHIDA's porcelain gloss was the recent shock. Maybe calm paint avoids polarising sales. Since Halbertec 9000 Power era, restrained has been the lane.
Head: large
Handle design: long handle, short shaft
Shaft stiffness: stiffer, tough-elastic
Shaft diameter: 6.8 mm (measured 6.97–7.04 mm)
String: Li-Ning LT66 POWER (review below)
Grip: Li-Ning GP100 PRO (review below)
Tension: 27/29 lbs
State 1: film off, cap on, overgrip—balance 293 mm, weight 91.11 g
On court
I'm a rear-court attack doubles player—before touch I assumed "SPEED" front-court frame wouldn't wow me. Lately I've lived on 5U; PR sent 4U G6 without asking—so not ultra-light SPEED spec, slight regret.
Bundled string — Li-Ning LT66 POWER
Grey pre-release LT66 POWER came with the frame—0.66 mm; colours Extreme Grey, Orchid Purple, Bamboo Green, Lake Blue. PR taste on point—grey on black-blue Bladex 800 Speed with silver foil is killer vs plain black string. Extreme Grey on LT61 POWER and LT66 POWER will convert many black-string fans.
Bundled overgrip — Li-Ning GP100 PRO
Li-Ning premium grips split GP100 sweat, GP200 durability, GP300 tack. GP100 PRO is GP100 upgrade—sweat type; official scores cap at 5.
Summary
Bladex 800 Speed broke my "speed = front-only" bias. Not a net wiper—a hexagon bucket from net brush to rear attack, passive to burst—vs Halbertec 9000 Power reputation still a step down, threshold a bit higher.