I strongly recommend
What the Bible Says About Child Training by Richard Fugate. The method he lays out in this excellent manual makes a lot of sense, and teaches the reader to keep anger out of the equation.
He clearly delineates between correction and punishment (they aren't the same thing) and between teaching and training, as well as between innocent transgressions and rebellion.
These are important distinctions for parents to master. Some of the points Fugate makes:
1. Never hit a child with your hand. Hands are for loving, healing, protecting. Use a rod instead.
2. The rod is used to correct rebellion, not as a punishment. As soon as the child agrees with you that his/her behavior was unacceptable, you withdraw the rod.
3. As soon as the child repents of the rebellious behavior, you immediately forgive unconditionally, and love him/her real good and close.
4. Punishment should fit the crime IOW, if s/he breaks something, s/he fixes it or pays with his/her own labor to replace it.
That sounds like a good approach... I'm not even married yet (will be by Christmas), but I think I will check that book out.
Dobson also says you should have an implement of discipline after the toddler years.
I spank. I'm reluctant to use a belt if need be when he is older. I never used anything but my hand on my girls...rarely, they simply didn't need it. Ping pong paddles used to be in frequent use when I was a boy, of course back then we didn't have all this touchy feely stuff about spanking. Everyone was spanked or worse...except maybe really meek little girls or very sissy little boys.