Laser‐induced stresses resulting from high‐power laser‐material interactions have been studied extensively. However, the rate of change in mechanical energy, or stress power, due to laser‐induced stresses has only recently been investigated. An unanswered question for monitoring laser‐material interactions in the far‐field is whether stress power differs from stresses measured, particularly with respect to laser‐energy coupling to a solid target. This letter shows experimental acoustic data which demonstrate that stress power measured in the far field of the target shows changes in laser‐energy coupling, whereas the stresses measured do not. For the ambient medium above the target, stress power and stress together reflect changes in laser‐energy coupling. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.