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Mike Tait was introduced to the World Long Drive Championship in 2001 by his long time friend, and President of AccuFlex shafts, Jody Baucom. After talking to many hitters, he came to understand the needs of this market. They wanted a component head that wouldn’t break, that would kept its resiliency and had consistent specs. After 7 designs, and four months later, Tait had designed and built the first line of SMT component drivers. The Shinnecock. 50% of the guys on the LDA tour hated it. It leaked to the right. The next version, and 20% of the guys didn’t like it. The third design became almost legendary. SMT became a world champion in just 7 months! The culmination of SMT’s first year of production resulted in 2 Re/MAX World Long Drive Champions (drives of 384 and 342 yards) and a 2nd place finish. The combination of using the highest grade of titanium and a rigorous testing process had produced overnight results. SMT’s success continued into 2003 with 2 more Re/MAX World Long Drive Championships (366 yards and 345 yards). Continued focus on delivering the best quality was key to these wins. SMT isn’t just for long drivers. These heads are designed to give the everyday golfer ammunition for their arsenal. Consistent weights, and lofts give every golfer the distance and forgiveness they need to win. The combination of materials and technology have allowed SMT to keep the heads as close to the .830 COR as the golf rules allow while still delivering a head that keeps its resiliency drive after drive after drive. In response to customer demand, SMT has since introduced fairway woods, irons, and wedges. Precision crafted performance is more than just a tagline, it represents everything that SMT (Superior Metal Technology) stands for. |
E2G: Tell me about your company … what do you do? 
Mike Tait: As founder of SMT Golf, my daily duties are many, and some not quite as glamorous as many would believe. Developing new products and watching market trends is a big part of it. Constant communications with the factories in China and Taiwan also takes up a lot of the day, early and late. I put in an easy 70 hours per week actually in office, with a major focus on brand awareness and helping dealers to better market themselves and the SMT brand by creating new and innovative programs and educating dealers on implementing these programs to their customers. I guess I really spend a heck of a lot of time on the phone every day.
E2G: How did you get started in the golf industry?
Mike Tait: I turned to the PGA program at the age of 16 because I simply couldn't afford to play golf. I turned pro immediately and my very first job was at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park Illinois where my first few days in the golf industry were spent being trained by none other than Hank Haney, who I was replacing at Exmoor. I quickly became interested in golf equipment when I realized that once a club had broken, you could repair it instead of having to throw it away. Of course, we are talking about the end of the persimmon days and the beginning of Taylor Made metalwoods who started in McHenry Illinois, a couple of towns over. It was fascinating for me to learn the club repair aspects of the business as I was never exposed to anything like that before. Being at the golf course all day was a blast, everything was so new, and it was my favorite game. Who wouldn't love it? Especially at that age.
E2G: What is your company’s current focus?
Mike Tait: Branding is always at the top of the "to do list", but getting club builders to be better at how they handle their businesses is very near the top. Of course, we cannot be everywhere and see everyone, consequently we have to depend on many people to represent the brand in their own little corner of the world. I want to make sure that SMT Golf helps them to be as successful as possible. We then spend the rest of our time focusing on helping players through the muddy waters that the industry has created, for if the golfers are confused or not enjoying the game, we will lose them to another hobby, and that is not good for any of us. I wish some of the bigger names in the golf industry were more aware of that simple fact instead of stringing 3 or 4 big new words together to create more mystery for their product which clearly confuses and irritates the customer as this game is hard enough without stirring in a heaping spoonful of hype marketing.
E2G: Do you specialize in a certain segment of the golf market?
Mike Tait: Many would answer this question differently that I would. With our immediate and continued dominance in the sport of Long Drive with the RE/MAX events worldwide, some argue that SMT is "a club made for longdrivers". While I am more than proud of our extreme worldwide accomplishments in this boutique sport, I am painfully aware that it has been a double edged sword as well. SMT blew onto the scene in 2002 with the highest quality drivers made, and we stand behind them better than any company on the planet, but we are much more than that now. Irons, hybrids, fairway woods, shafts, gloves, putters and marketing. We have it all now and SMT Golf is a company that you can still get me on the phone at any given time if you like. I am proud of the attention to detail and the accessibility to the golfers that SMT Golf affords our customers. I wouldn't have it any other way. Nobody gets to talk with "Mr. TaylorMade" if you know what I mean.
 E2G: Describe your current product line?
Mike Tait: I like to think that we have "cut our teeth" on the sport of longdrive, but the equipment that SMT produces for these extreme competitors comes out of the very same boxes that we ship to weekend players and PGA Professionals around the world on a daily basis. In other words, you are using the exact same stuff they are using, but probably in a different loft. SMT Golf currently has 6 different drivers with a new driver soon to be debuted. We have a full 50% of our current line available in left handed and available in over 67 different lofts as high as 14.5 degrees. We have taken our time to produce a line that has a longer shelf life, and I feel that our customers appreciate the fact that they know that they do not have to worry about a new product bumping the last "new product" every 16 minutes, similar to the trend in the industry today. We do it right and we stand behind it with our name and our Lifetime Warranty. SMT has finally designed our own shaft line in the RLM Series. It is quite a simple and novel approach to manufacturing that really just makes an awful lot of sense. Sales have been dramatic and we have actually dropped two shaft lines we used to carry since they could not keep up with sales of our own line. Our warranty exceeds theirs and the profit margins our clubmakers enjoy are also better. A truly winning combination for everyone involved
E2G: What sets you apart from your competition?
Mike Tait: Quality of materials to start with is key. You cannot cut corners here otherwise it will show itself down the line. We canon test each head at 160 mph. and do not let a single product through the gauntlet of tests if it falls out of spec. We do not cut any corners, and we take our time. Products take a long time to reach the marketplace, a year in production is not uncommon. We are a small company, and one that does not have any shareholders to answer to. We can spend more money on testing and materials and bring the best to market without scrimping to serve the bottom line. SMT Golf was the very first and only company in the history of golf to win each and every single division of the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships, and we are the current holder of both the long the longest drive on any PGA Tour (429 yards at the 2004 Shell Houston Open) and the first and only clubhead sold in component form to be the longest driver on any PGA Tour with a season ending driving distance average of over 339 yards, and we have held that title for many years now. We have accomplished these things without paying or compensating a single player! I think that gets right to the heart of your question right. The players who choose to use the SMT brand, have paid for it, and that is something that is quite unheard of in this industry today. SMT Golf has also had the best warranty in the industry. A 100%, "No Questions Asked" Lifetime Warranty on all heads and shafts… we have even extended that warranty to our new golf glove line, something that is so revolutionary, that Sports Illustrated featured the SMT glove line on their website from the PGA Show in Orlando a few years back, much to the dismay of a major glove manufacturer set up right across the aisle from the SMT booth at the show.
We focus on service and quality, and make sure that everyone gets treated fairly. We are not interested in being the biggest, just the best. We have our niche and our followers and we are the only golf company in the world to hold an annual "SMT Customer Appreciation Event" each November for friends and fans of the product. The event has grown in participation each year we have had it, and has become something for people to look forward to at the end of each season. It is like an extended family of sorts, with SMT Golf being the common thread.
 E2G: What kind of technology do you have that sets you apart from your competition?
Mike Tait: "Technology"? - None. We have the same "technology" as everyone else has available to them, we just have chosen to use it from day one! It is expensive to test heads like we do. It is expensive to have high rejection rates, especially since factory workers overseas are paid by the piece. Customer service and dedication to the brand without question, without hesitation, listening to the feedback of the people using the clubs and shafts we produce, and being small enough to be able to react on a moments notice keeps us where we are. The industry has been in a tough place in 2006 & 2007, there has been quite a bit of consolidation and folks getting out of the industry. We are happy with what we have created and how we treat people. I guess it is kind of "old school" thinking…… or perhaps, "technology".
E2G: What is the main way that golfers will benefit from your product?
Mike Tait: Great question. I would have to say that simple peace of mind. We have shown that we can compete with well over 3500 different clubhead models on the long drive tour and come out on top well over 150 times worldwide. We have shown the world that you don't need the latest and greatest "adjustable this-n-that" from the biggest names in the industry to do something spectacular on Tour. We have achieved the highest honors on the PGA Tour and won on the European Tour, The Guinness Book of World Records, etc, etc,etc…… and done so on 4 different continents. We have plenty of models and lofts available to choose from and thousands of places to get the clubs all around the world. I guess we feel that finally, you can, indeed "buy confidence", with SMT Golf.
E2G: What is one thing that you want golfers to know about your company and product line?
Mike Tait: That we absolutely produce our line of equipment for every single average golfer in the world. We are not "that long drive club". That we are dedicated to the idea that clubs that are fit to your game are as important as shoes that are fit to your feet. That SMT Golf is always here to help, even if what you need cannot be found here, we will, and oftentimes have, told you where to get what would best suit you.
E2G: Where can golfers find your product?
Mike Tait: Of course right here at SMT Golf. We also have a couple of different links on our website www.smtgolf.com for anyone interested. You can click on the Demo SMT link and find clubmakers worldwide who have demo clubs for you to try. We also have a list on the website under Club Builders. These two drop down menus can help anyone find someone close to them to see or hit the product. If not, we have a really great demo program direct from SMT Golf where for $19.00 you can try out your choice of SMT driver and SMT shaft for 14 days and simply put the postage paid sticker back on the box and it will come right back to us when you are finished. Of course, if you are into making your own clubs, you should ask us directly about special programs and pricing to help you to increase your business. We are always happy and willing to help.
E2G: Does your product help grow the game?
Mike Tait: Golf takes a relatively large investment in both money and certainly in time to play. I like to think that if people are enjoying the game, they will play more. SMT Golf is dedicated to helping people enjoy the game more and thusly grow the game. So, I would have to say, yes.
 E2G: How do you see the game being played in ten years?
Mike Tait: I think it is ridiculous that the golf industry has not learned to cater to different groups of customers, especially women golfers. Why is it that we can get day care at the health club for mommy to work out for an hour or two, but the golf course does not have that? Why is it that we have stuck by the tradition of 9 or 18 holes? Why can't a mom or a stay at home dad stop by the course and drop the kids at the day care for an hour and play 4 or 5 holes? I fear that play will be flat for a while, I do not think that will be ten years though. I think we have to get golf professionals into marketing classes, and make a bigger part of their compensation packages based upon performance of the properties. The game and facility traffic is not like it used to be, that is one thing that we all know for certain, but oddly, I do not see any real positive movement to combat the issues that we all know to be true.
E2G: What are the biggest challenges the industry faces in the next ten years?
Mike Tait: Cost, lifestyle, competition, limits.
Cost - Not so much the obvious, but the time element in busy schedules is a very real factor. We better take a look at shorter course or less holes as a viable alternative, otherwise the first tee will remain open more than we wish it to be. Managers and golf professionals have to look at the situation as if the golf course were their business, or should I say their money invested on the line.
Lifestyle - More women playing, less corporate play due to less tax incentive. Stay at home dads, retiring baby boomers being in better shape and better off financially… golf might not be the choice as we have all thought or hoped it would be. We cannot sit back and hope, we need to be proactive.
Competition - Again… time, families, other sports and hobbies that are not as expensive or are perceived as somehow "easier" will pull from golf. Golf professionals have to get closer to basics instead of hype in their teaching. I feel that you don't have to confuse or overwhelm to justify your price per lesson. Bet back to basics. Get the consumer to have fun in relatively short order. Repeat business will fill lesson books faster than 6 lessons for the price of 5.
Limits - The USGA has been under attack of late, but they are not doing much to step out of the way of the speeding train. Making rules that apply to the average golfer based upon the best players in the world is dangerous and not helping the game or the customer pool from which we all draw. Regulating equipment as they have been doing is ridiculous and I cannot help but wonder if we had the same mindset in other fields, such as medicine or space travel where we would all be today. This is a game. Not too many of us really get paid to play it. We pay to enjoy ourselves.
 E2G: What is the single ingredient in your product that attracts the golfer?
Mike Tait: Probably longer drives. While the rules are the rules, golfers see the extreme results of the SMT brand and are intrigued. When they see the smooth faces on the drivers, they automatically think there must be something illegal about them, but there is nothing illegal about them. They look cool, they are not mainstream, and smooth faces are easier to keep clean. LOL.
E2G: Do the tours help or hurt everyday amateur players?
Mike Tait: Tough question. I would have to say certainly a bit of both! A 23 handicap player reading putts from every angle and tossing blades of grass into the air because they saw Tiger do it, is doing nothing for them, doing nothing for the folks they are playing with, or the group of players they are playing in front of. Equipment buying decisions based off what their favorite player is seen using also mystifies me more than I care to admit, for often the only correlation between the weekend warrior and Tiger is the fact that we add up our scorecard after 18 holes, or hold the club by the same soft end. Multi million dollar bonuses, million dollar equipment contracts, golf magazines regurgitating the same useless information issue after issue, only from different viewpoints, giving players the hope of "joining the Champions Tour" as soon as their career as an insurance salesman is over is dangerous and sometimes can be quite damaging to families and relationships, and leads to false hope at best.
On the other hand, big money and 24 hour Golf Channel coverage is good advertising for the game, keeping the sport fresh in the minds of many. Junior golf programs are strong. The First Tee Program, High School golf teams, more and better competitions on a local level are all a positive things and ones that we might not have it weren't for the tour. Hero worship is not always a bad thing, and we have many that find that in their favorite tour player. As long as people are talking about golf, and playing golf, perhaps we should be thankful to whatever vehicle brought them to the game.
E2G: Parting thoughts?
Mike Tait: This is truly the game of a lifetime and one that I have poured my heart and soul into for the past 30+ years. The good shots are sadly far too few, but the laughter and friendships created are lifelong, and that cannot be said for too many sports. If we remember, respect and honor the history of the game, but are not afraid to venture out a bit through technology, we can have the best of both worlds. I am passionate about getting people into equipment that fits them. Don't just cut down clubs for your kids to use. You wouldn't stuff newspaper into the toes of your old shoes for them to wear, why do they same with their clubs? Buy the best equipment that you can afford, and then go out and spend a few dollars to learn how to use it. You will be far better off in the long run. Take every ad that you read in a magazine with a grain of salt… trust me when I say that I have been reading "longer and straighter" for the past 35 years, in everything from balls to shafts and every piece of equipment between the two. It is a lie. Use common sense with your purchasing decisions and get out and enjoy the game a bit more. Introduce a youngster to the game, even if they are not your own, and enjoy each moment that you can on the golf course.
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Mike Tait