The problem with most single engine light airplanes, or maybe it's not a problem depending on your perspective, is that minimum sink speed and best glide speed are very close.  Flying a long approach at numbers less than these means you'll hit the ground sooner and reduces your options - who knows, the motor might start running again - plus you need some margin for maneuvering, you may spot a better landing place before you're committed.  But once you're committed to the landing and close to the ground, hang everything out and slow to the landing speed (not fence speed) you are accustomed to using.  If you need to jam a rudder to avoid an obstacle, stick your foot in hard, you're already in a wreck, now's the time to survive.  Hold the doors open as far as possible to add aerodynamic braking.

An approach to an emergency landing in a power plane flown as a normal landing in a glider almost guarantees a landing on the chosen field.  Using the FAA method requires practice and lots of it:  http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/airplane_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-3a-4of7.pdf  See page 25 of section 8.

Here's the FAA Glider Handbook.  Page 8-9 illustrates the most basic idea, which is to stay in contact with the landing zone.  There is usually a phase where altitude has to be adjusted down before flying that last downwind leg, and that spiral down should be at mid field or biased slight toward the approach end, not off the end of the damn landing area.

http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/glider_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-13.pdf