I once asked Don Kelbick (creator of the Attack & Counter Player Development System) how he came up with his very unique approach to developing players and his answer shocked me...

He said: I didn't. The pros taught me.

When he saw my bewildered look on my face at the time, he elaborated some more:

I studied the best players. I watched what worked best for the pros and started teaching in the way that they played. I also listened to greats like Elgin Baylor and what their mentality was. (Elgin was the first player ever to score 70 points in an NBA game)

That's why I went away from traditional coaching techniques for 1v1 offense like "read the defense then react" or "read and react." Then put them in 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 drills based on how the defense was playing. I taught that way for 20 years at the high school and college level. A lot of other coaches taught that way. There is nothing wrong with this, but it never got me the results I hoped for.

He continued...

When I heard legends like Elgin Baylor talk about the importance of Immediacy, that's how I came up with the mentality that I teach. Things like Attack Immediately, Do What You Do Best, and Think Shot. Shot. Shot.

It's also why I went from teaching things like change directions with the dribble when the defender's chest is front or square to your dribbling hand. Instead, I teach "Make Them Stop You" then "Immediately Counter."

Everybody is unique and different from their perceptions to their size and skills. What works great for one player won't work great for another player.

In later conversations, I even mentioned to him, I know you're right.

If James Harden took that advice, he never would've had the success he had. I also don't think it's a coincidence that James Harden's longtime trainer Irving Roland and Don Kelbick are colleagues.

Now you might be thinking...

So what? These are pros! What about college, high school, or even youth players...

Well, after doing this for 15+ years, I can guarantee you that his simplified approach works for all age levels and skill levels.

It's helped me tremendously with young athletes that I coached.

It's also worked in my private training, where I've only trained two players over the last 12 years... one was a friend of the family and the other was a relative.

The results of implementing Coach Kelbick's approach?

One athlete developed into a Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and was a key contributor to a team that won a national championship at the college level.

The second athlete was cut from 7th-grade team to earning honorable mention all-conference in a conference that had multiple high-major D1 players and even a couple of NBA players like Bol Bol and Jeremiah Christian Robinson-Earl. He later played college basketball.

So if you want to get some serious results or you're not getting results with the current training that you'd like, I couldn't encourage you more to check out Don Kelbick's Attack & Counter Player Development System Videos.

His teaching has been so influential that you hear many of the Lead Instructors at our Breakthrough Basketball Camps teach many of the same principles.

Comments Most Likes First   Oldest First   Newest First

Leave a Comment Name : Email (not published) : Eighteen plus four is equal to?  (Prevents Spam) Answer :  Load New Question Comments : Leave this Blank :