welcome to the forum, tekken. where did you learn that pruning makes a plant small?
The best way to make it small, start with the seed or strain. Some of them just get taller than others.
The second way is to not let them get too tall. You do this by turning off the lights for longer periods. During vegatative growth, give them 18 hours of light. when they have reached 1/3 to 1/2 of the height you want to end with, only give them 12 hours of light. This makes you a liar. You are telling your plants its fall, and time to start flowering instead of growing bigger.
About two weeks after you lie to them, they will show you what sex they are, they don't hold it against you. If your lucky, and that 1 plant happens to be female keep lying until the buds show, by thier trich's colors, that they are all ready to dry, cure, and smoke.