Solution

Reading every other letter of each jumble of letters yields a clue phrase, one written normally and one written backwards. Both clue phrases hint at the same solution: one normal, the other written backwards. The numbers provide the length of individual words in the solutions.

Clue phrases	Solutions	Letters
STRAINED PLATE WIDGET LITERARY CLICHÉS MESH	TENSE PORT TROPES NET	TT
PASS BY KEVIN KLINE PRESIDENTIAL MOVIE AVOIDS FEAR INDUCED LACK OF USUAL COLOR	ELAPSE DAVE EVADES PALE	EE
JAPANESE CAT LIGHTSPEED LIEUTENANT LION SON OF ZIRA FIGURATIVE KEEPSAKE	NEKO TUVOK KOVU TOKEN	NK
COMEDIC STEPHEN NOT OFF FRENCH OUR VOTING GROUP	COLBERT ON NOTRE BLOC	CN
APPLE TABLET EPOCH ONE RUBY INTERFACE	IPAD ERA A RED API	IA
MARATHON SPRINT CONTROVERSIES PREPARE MOTORCYCLE ATTACHMENT	RACE DISPUTES SET UP SIDECAR	RS

Continuing in the “zig zag” theme of the puzzle and keeping the hint in the flavour text in mind, the solution word can be obtained by reading alternatingly the first and last letters, then the same backwards.

TENNIS RACKET