Handicaps or Gradings

I imagine most clubs have a handicap system and run competitions using these handicaps. Nationally, there is no real equivalent. The EBU has master points and different gradings of master player. The snag, as I remember it, is that your grading largely depends on the amount you play.

The online club Bridge Club Live (see link in sidebar) has an unusual and interesting system. Players are classified as club, diamonds, hearts or spades according to their average percentage score (spades are highest). It isn't simply based on percentage score: their is an adjustment for the standard of competition i.e if a spade plays with a spade against a pair of clubs. The system does seem complicated and rather difficult to understand but it doesn't seem to matter.

It isn't perfect, it is admitted that regular partnerships have an advantage estimated to be about 2% over 'pick-up' pairs.

Having said all that I found it very interesting, especially when I was graded as a spade. Not quite so impressed to be now barely hanging on to heart status. Could this interesting system be used or adapted for clubs or for national gradings?