My kids got one or two (at the most) early spankings for tantrums, disrespect, or not listening.
After that, they knew the threat was good and there were no problems.
It was funny, though, when I would say loudly (while trying to keep a straight face) to my kids in the supermarket, “I’m gonna get my belt off in a minute!” There were actually shoppers who wondered if I was serious. My kids were pretty sure I was joking.
I never did much spanking. Maybe I lucked out on my daughter and grandson, both were reasonable most of the time.