I think his review is a little bit of pre-judgment on the NVS. I have one with the same layout I had on my Total NV and it started the same way where it lacked hook. However, after about 3 games or so the cover broke in and it started hooking a lot more. I threw my TNV right next to it and there was comparing the two. The NVS is A LOT stronger. It is a great ball in my opinion and probably one of the best balls I have bought in a long time and would strongly recommend buying one if you like a ball that reads the mid-lanes really well with a strong backend.