Depends on the issue. For abortion the court has been fairly consistent to the left for decades. Gay rights has been largely to the left the last few decades as well.
However, you've seen growth in free exercise law which is a rightward shift. Citizens United was interesting in that it was an expansion of free speech (generally a liberal ideal) applied in a conservative way.
Ultimately the court can only be pulled as far as the most moderate 5th justice. It doesn't matter if you have 4 extremists, they need the 5th to make a majority so they can only go as far as the 5th is comfortable.