Equipment Needed

A batting tee lets hitters isolate the shortened, defensive two-strike swing without needing a live arm every rep.

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Setup

A hitter faces live or coach-thrown pitching, starting every at-bat simulation at a 0-2 or 1-2 count.
Mix in pitches both in and out of the strike zone to test the two-strike approach.

Hitter chokes up slightly and shortens their swing, prioritizing contact over power.
Expand the mental strike zone — protect against anything close rather than only swinging at a perfect pitch.
On a borderline pitch, foul it off or put it in play rather than taking a risky strikeout looking.
Discuss each at-bat afterward: did the approach actually protect the plate?

Coaching Points

A shorter, more compact swing gives a hitter a better chance to make contact with two strikes, even at some cost to power.
Protecting the plate means swinging at anything even close to the zone — taking a borderline strike three is the outcome this approach avoids.
Fouling off tough pitches is a successful outcome in this approach, not a failure — reframe it that way for hitters.
This mental adjustment needs to be deliberately trained; most hitters default back to their normal approach without specific practice.

Add a called ball-strike umpire for realistic borderline pitch pressure, or track two-strike foul-off counts as a specific stat to build the habit.