Dear Wells,
I think the three main differences that separate chipping from putting are power, the fact that the ball in chipping sits in fairway or rough to start with, and the flight of the ball thru the air.
Power:
When power is not especially needed to get the ball onto the green and start rolling as soon as possible (usual teaching), the size of the chipping stroke and its velocity thru impact is not all that different from a putting stroke's power requirements. This would be the case when the distance in the air to cover before getting the ball rolling on the green was not great. In that case, a putting stroke is often advised for chipping action. On longer chips requiring more power, the stroke action will tend to gate more around the body as the upper torso swings thru to aid the powering, with the shoulder rocking but also with the lead shoulder headed behind in the follow-thru a little. Many teachers advise a slight open setup for these chips, and that goes well with this sort of upper-torso action. The clubface still gets delivered squarely thru impact and a little beyond before coming around. In long putts, many people advise that the stroke will work more around the body and look more like a chipping stroke, so there is a power realm where the putting stroke and the chipping stroke tend to blend together in form.
Grass:
The reason a bellied wedge or a three-wood is used to putt thru the fringe is because these clubs handle the grass behind the ball better. In chipping, it may be necessary to deal with some grass behind the ball, as this can make a putting stroke that is low and level thru a good-size zone starting behind the ball and extending well in front of the ball a problem. For these occasions, the chipping action will be steeper into impact to make good contact between clubface and ball. But if the surface where the ball sits is a "tight" lie, then a putting stroke may work best. At the British Open, the approaches to the greens are such that a putt from as far off the green as 20-30 yards is not uncommon. Also, sometimes if the lip of a bunker is not too much trouble and the sand is relatively firm, golfers will putt out of a bunker. But in general, a short chip should probably be combined with a small "nip" of a divot, as this divot-taking brings definiteness to the relationship between the stroke and the grass-turf to get the clubface squarely thru impact.
Air:
The principle reason putting is a "game within the game" is because the putting game is played by rolling the ball across the ground, rather than launching the ball into the air (even though there is a little launching of a putt at the beginning). This air game in chipping allows for ball spin to play a role, often and usually requires more power than rolling the ball, and has a different set of rules derived from how the ball responds when it lands onto the green or just off the green. In putting, there is a little backspin at the start but this goes away quickly and doesn't have a tremendous effect in the outcome. In chipping, the backspin can be very important in how the ball reacts to the green once it lands -- whether the ball checks or releases and runs. And the height of the air trajectory also has a major influence on the chip. Most instructors teach keeping the chipping trajectory low, so the ball upon landing does not have a steep angle of incidence, and will therefore not bounce much but will get rolling sooner. A higher, steeper flight has the ball land and hop in a small area. These aspects of chipping all tend to make the chipping stroke more in the form of a miniature version of a full shot with an iron and less like a putting stroke.
So, I guess my answer is a little situation dependent. Personally, when I find myself near the green with a reasonable lie and a less-lofted iron in my hands (e.g., 8 or 7), my chipping stroke starts to look very much like a putting stroke. But if I'm farther back or have a more-lofted club or am in deeper grass, my chipping action tends to look more like a full swing form with a deliberate effort for a nipped divot.
Did I mention that I am ONLY a putting instructor?
Cheers!
Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
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