so my wife bought me home 8 boxes of laminate flooring to do the kitchen let me tell you im not having an easy time like all these videos on youtube. all the tongues are all getting smashed in i think i started the wrong side to the wall i think. i would rather print anyday then do this crap.
No matter if the tongue is out or you need to hit the back side, you cannot just hammer against it. Take a scrap piece of laminate and rip it so it has a flat side. Insert the working end (not flat), tongue or groove into the laminate you wish to move and hammer against the scrap board, BUT also take a scrap piece of 2x4 (about 4 inch long) and hammer against that. That will save mashing the good tabs or screwing up the good back sides and by using the 2x4 scrap, will make the cut scrap of laminate last longer before you have to replace it.
No matter what side you need to hit, use a scrap piece fit it into the grooves and the 2x4 chunk to seat the good laminate. Hope that makes sense.
Me and my son, laminate from Home Depot, put down a 22 x 22 den and two lengths of a hallway. Went pretty well and the laminate was definitely NOT top of the line. We sold the house, lol.