WTG Lieutenant!

Sounds like you have the right idea, but let me elaborate a little.

When flying your "racetrack" pattern, make your close leg directly over the runway.

Once you have them consistant, lower your throttle a bit on the down wind leg, and start making your runway passes lower and lower, then power up and go around.

Keep doing this until you're comfortable with it. As you get comfortable, let it come lower and lower, BUT never say to yourself (or anyone else for that matter) "Next time, I'm going to land!" That puts too much pucker factor into the equation.

Just keep getting as low as you are comfortable with, and on one of those passes, you will find your position, airspeed, and altitude just right. At that point, just don't power up, and she'll just settle in.