What kind of sensor should we use?

[jnaranjo]

We are using a windshield wiper DC motor to swing a rod for a set number of degrees.

We want a sensor that can give us the angle that our rod is at.

We are short on time, so something that is in our kit of parts would be ideal.

Our rod will be hitting frisbees pretty hard, and we want to avoid breaking any overly sensitive parts of the sensor on impact.

This is our first year, and we are a bit overwhelmed by the many different types of sensors, but we are looking primarily into optical or magnetic absolute encoders, and alternatively into potentiomenters.

We would appreciate any help we can get.
Thanks!