Li-Ning Axforce 80 vs Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic
Two head-heavy rackets from Li-Ning and Victor, lined up spec by spec from the makers' published figures. Rows marked in red are where they differ; the notes underneath say what each difference means on court.
Axforce 80
A head-heavy racket with a medium 6.6 mm shaft that produces easy power without needing a professional swing. One of Li-Ning's most popular choices for strong intermediate and advanced players who want attack with some forgiveness.
Full specs →Thruster Ryuga Metallic
The metallic-carbon update of the original Ryuga, keeping a head-heavy stiff layout with a slightly thicker 6.8 mm shaft than the Ryuga II. A solid, powerful racket for advanced attackers who like a stable, firm feel.
Full specs →Where they differ
- Both are head-heavy frames, so the basic feel on the swing is similar and the differences below are what separate them.
- Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic has the stiffer shaft (stiff against medium). A stiffer shaft gives more control and a faster recovery for players with a quick swing; a softer one stores more energy for players who need help generating pace.
- Weights offered differ: Li-Ning Axforce 80 comes in 3U / 4U / 5U, Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic in 3U / 4U.
- Grip sizes differ too (G5 / G6 versus G5); if you like a thin handle, check the size before buying.
- Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic is rated to 32 lbs against 31 lbs for Li-Ning Axforce 80. That only matters if you string above the mid-20s; see our string tension guide.
- Play style tags differ: Li-Ning Axforce 80 also carries the all-round tag, which Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic does not. The tags come from the maker's positioning and the balance and flex above, not from our own play-testing.
- The materials listed by the makers differ (frame: Carbon fibre (TB Nano, M40X) versus High-resilience modulus graphite, Hard Cored Technology, metallic carbon fibre; shaft: Carbon fibre, 6.6 mm shaft versus High-resilience modulus graphite, Pyrofil, 6.8 mm shaft). Material names are marketing terms as much as engineering ones, so treat them as a tie-breaker rather than a reason to choose.
- Li-Ning Axforce 80 is typically around US$30 cheaper (≈ US$200 against ≈ US$230; prices vary by region).
- Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic is the newer design (2023 against 2021).
Balance, flex, weights, grips, tension and materials come from the manufacturers' published specifications; the level, play-style tags and typical prices are our own database fields and are labelled as such. We do not rate rackets we have not measured. Shaft flex and balance are the makers' own categories, so compare them within a brand with more confidence than across brands. Our head-heavy vs head-light guide and string tension guide explain what the categories mean on court.
Specifications side by side
Rows with a red mark are where the two rackets differ. Open in the comparison tool to swap either racket for another.