Yes, as oapbillf said, but not as much as you will eventually need to once you get better. That's why the top leaders are SOOOO much longer than the stock ones. The stock leaders are as they are so the absolute novice can actually get the kite off the ground. A new flyer has difficulty (in most cases) launching when the leaders are properly tuned for advanced flight. Stay tuned. We'll walk you through it. Ask questions as necessary. Watch the basics tutorial videos on this forum repeatedly. You will learn something new each time.