This is like asking, "How much should I expect to pay, and how many lessons would it take for me to become a concert pianist?"

It's a stupid question, and it can't be answered. But I'll give it a shot in the most honest way I know how.

1. My experience has been that $50 for a lesson (an hour, give or take) is about the norm. Some coaches will charge more, some less. The ones who charge more in many cases will do so because they CAN. Either they're in greater demand (usually because they're better) or because they've built up a big clientele (repeat customers is usually an indication that they're HAPPY customers). The ones who charge less either can't get many pupils or they're just starting out. Or they suck. Buyer beware. Low cost is not always indicative of a good deal.

2. How many lessons? Impossible to know. Like with any other skill, some are more naturally gifted than others. You might be someone who will NEVER be a 227 average player, just like I will NEVER be a headliner at Carnegie Hall. A better goal, if you're into setting goals (I'm not), is to set out to realize your potential, whatever that potential is. You might max out your ability at 205 or 195. Who's to say. Not everyone is a potential 227 (or higher) average bowler, just like not everyone has the gifts necessary to one day be a Hall of Fame NFL quarterback. With all that said, if you want to get really good, plan on getting a lesson two or three times a month for the next year or so and bowl somewhere between 100 and 200 games a week practice. Like with any other sport, if you're going to hone your skills, you've gotta get your reps in. But just bowling without having something specific to work on does nothing but ingrain whatever bad habits you have. Like a bad golfer beating balls for hours on the driving range but can never break 90 on the golf course, you've got to have a plan in play and something specific you're trying to improve on. Not just blindly bowling. That's why having a couple of lessons per month is a good idea. Aside from giving you another pair of eyes to see your game, it also gives you a strategic plan -- a roadmap, if you will, that will lead to improvement.

Oh, and understand that there are some coaches who will be good enough to get you to, say, 200. But to get you much beyond that, you may need a different coach. Not all coaches are created equal.