Modeling the pressure-diffusion process is discussed to improve the prediction of turbulent recirculating flows by a second moment closure. Since the recent DNS research of a turbulent recirculating flow by Yao et al. [Theore. Comput. Fluid Dynamics 14 (2001) 337–358] suggested that the pressure-diffusion process of the turbulence energy was significant in the recirculating region, the present study focuses on the rapid part of the process consisting of the mean shear. This rapid pressure-diffusion model is developed for the Reynolds stress equation using the two-component-limit turbulence condition and added to a low Reynolds number two-component-limit full second moment closure for evaluation. Its effects are discussed through applications of turbulent recirculating flows such as a trailing-edge and a back-step flows. Encouraging results are obtained though some margins to be improved still remain.