My dad used to whip me with his belt, kick me, and shove me into walls until I hit around age 14 and started lifting weights and playing football. It was not very good. Seeing as how he's a coward, and couldn't bully me and take out his life's anger on me (there were many reasons for it, I'm sure, none of them justified) when I got older, we just simply drifted apart and had nothing to really say to each other. We faked liking each other as we got older to keep up appearances and bring civility to family get-togethers.
I can't spank my kids because of my childhood. I'm actually revolted by the idea and am still fearful of my poor old gray haired dad to this day. He couldn't swat a fly now, but all he has to do is raise his voice and I get scared. I've long since stopped hating him, but now, mostly I just find his presence distasteful and intolerable. And yes, I'm still scared of him. We're all little boys deep down inside, when we see ourselves reflected in our father's eyes, and our fathers are always, and will always be, giants. You can't erase the imprinting phase of childhood. When you learn to hate your father, you learn the most devastating emotions of all...the realization that the only man in your life who had real potential to be a hero, was a huge letdown and a cancer on your life. It does callous the heart with unbelievably remarkable precision. But, we all need to learn to deal with a callous at some point, don't we?
But, I will refuse to judge any parent who does or doesn't spank. Just make sure when you do it, you do it with a measured hand and that your child understands your true intentions and your love for them. I think it's hard to do that when you spank them, but I'm won't judge a parent. A spanking is far from being the worst thing a parent can do to a child.