If you need to slow down for a short field landing you should be prepairing for this way before you line up with the runway. In other words you should bleed off the airspeed before even trying to land. A little elevator will slow it down yes but a good instructor should teach the pilot to slow your airspeed on the downwind approach allowing the airplane to settle on it's own as you turn base and on to final approach. Then the only elevator movement needed is used to flare just before touching down.

I see way to many guys force a plane down because they turn onto final then dive for the runway... by the time they get down they are way to fast and end up crash landing.