A lot more info required - what type of laurel - spotted laurel (Aucuba) cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)? How did you prepare the soil before planting, and did you add anything to it? What time of year did you plant and were the plants bare root or potted? Have you pruned them at all? Have you kept them well watered, particularly during their first year? Have you fed them at all since they were planted? Are there any kind of infestation or disease symptoms present, or do they just look a bit spindly? Planted in sun or shade, windy or sheltered?

Have you cut it back or were you in an understandable hurry for it to grow tall? Cutting back when young encourages the production of side shoots from lower down and a combination of that and feeding if the ground isn't very good shoudld help esptablish your hedge. If the hedge isn't too long you will get a better more controlled result by pruning it with secateurs rather than shears or hedge trimmer.