The more you use the tent, the easier this is to do. When I put up my tent I simply create a little droop on the side of the awning to manage where the water drips. If your awning is pooling in the middle simply take one rope and stake it again at a different angle. Careful though! It could splash mud up on the tent if you are camping in an area without a lot of vegetation. Sometimes when it rains I simply let the awning down altogether and rest against the tent - leaving the stakes as they were so I can quickly put it back up when the rain stops.