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Dan is fundamentally correct, but I would like to add a couple of comments which might be helpful, I hope.
#1 : If the wind is unsteady, NOBODY can fly ANY airplane like it was mounted on rails. The difference Vaugn notices is the experience of the instructor. Also, to a great extent, he transfers his confidence in the instructor to percieve "it's easy", when in fact the instructor is flopping around in the air just as much as the student (well OK, hopefully not quite as much).
Vaughn, just like a boat "rolls" with the waves and wind, but on-average we still arrive at the dock, you must not let the gusts distract you. As I'm sure the CFI is telling you, look out the window, keep the landing attitude, and roll with the punches. Fly the airplane, do what you gotta do to arrive more or less "in shape" for the landing, and you're doing as well as anyone can.
#2 : I don't like Dan's suggestion of "learn the RPM settings". Sure, a 737 carries maybe 80% power down to the flare, but this isn't the way to preserve the nosewheel on your trainer. I am of the school you should pull the RPM back to idle just as you turn base. If you are too far out to make the field, you better be closer-in next time.
Sure, a Cessna 182/206 loaded full of gas and only 2-fat guys in the front is nose heavy. Some guys carry a few RPM (maybe 1000rpm) to "weigh down" the tail and help your arms pull the flare. It helps a little, but not a lot. Generally, carrying any power only makes the landing FASTER (for a student), and that's not a good thing. If you're not flying a jet, nor a 182/206 or such, and your instructor uses continuous power from downwind to flare, go get another instructor. (This is especially true if he lowers the flaps and adds power to keep the speed/altitude...he's practicing for his jet rating.)
Contrary to what you hear from others, IT IS NOT ILLEGAL and you will not be "fined $50 and goto Jail" if you bring up the rpm on final when you see you're not going to make it to the apron. But next time, plan a shorter approach. Trust me, your judgement of "I'm short" will come to you before you go for your checkride.
As Dan comments, you won't have a nice landing if you don't setup early. Yes, you should trim for hands-off as best as you can. There are rules of thumb, but I recommend you use the speeds in the airplane's POH. The POH will recommend speeds for Downwind (and base) and final. PLEASE do not exceed these speeds, at least not much. The speeds were determined for when the airplane is at gross. Since your training airplane is probably loaded at less than gross weight, the speeds are plenty sufficient to keep you airborne and stable till you get to the ground.
The book on the 1979 Cessna 172 says 55-65 KNOTS (that would be about 64 to 75mph) for landing after you apply some flaps. I have seen so many students try to land a Skyhawk at 85 or 90mph (or more, and with full-flaps). Trust me, on the check-ride, you will not be asked to demonstrate a "long-field-landing". And you should not practice same.
It's a well-known rule-of-thumb that you can add 50% of the gust factor to your speeds if necessary. If you have 10 gusting to 20, then you can add 5mph (20 minus 10, and 50% of the remainder). Notice this still doesn't get the Skyhawk's speed past 80mph on final. More likely, the wind will be 12 gusting 18, and adding 3mph to your speeds is trivial.
Same as Dan, I sense your frustration at being out-of-shape at the landing. Well hey, at least you noticed the problem. Some never see. On a lighter note, here's an exercise I was taught by an old-timer, WAY after I suffered same as you. "Lack-O-Flare Disease", he called it (LOF'd for short. "My boy, you've got LOF'd". )
Go to a lightly used airport on a relatively calm day. Try for the longest runway (paved) that you can. I was lucky. A nearby airfield was abandoned by the Airforce. 10,000 feet of smooth concrete. The old-timer practiced a couple of times, then he told me "you only have 1800 rpm. Set it, and try to take off". Know what ? I could only nose up and get about 6inches high off the mains, cruise at 6inches for a while, and it would settle again. And repeat. As I recall, I had 8 touch and goes before we ran out of runway. I never got over 45mph. And the whole stretch was nose-high. I landed nose-high "On the Mains" 8 times! (Couldn't help it actually.) He made me do this 3 times. If I hadn't mentioned buying breakfast, we might still be there.
On a side note, this is almost exactly how the airplane feels when you take off from a runway at high (6500ft+ ?) elevation (excuse me, "Density Altitude"). So the above exercise is good learning for that too.
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Looking back to when I was a student, I was so frustrated. So frustrated. Felt like I would NEVER get the hang of flying. Then one day, a guy said something that really made a diference. "I have 20,000 hours logged. -Of COURSE- I can fly better than you. But come back and see me when you have 1000 hours, and let's see if I'm so much better than you THEN." He let me hand-fly his 1938 WACO that day. Took me straight from 'Confident' back to 'Student' in just a few minutes. Looks like I'll need another 1000 hours to catch up with him.
P.S. :
O and B.T.W.,
Al Gore had NOTHING to do with establishing the principles of flight.
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